Police investigate deadly motel stabbing involving four middle school students in Changwon

Police are investigating the case of a man in his 20s who attacked four middle school students, killing two and injuring a third, at a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, on Wednesday.

Police restrict access to a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, to investigate a stabbing incident that took place on Dec. 3. Two middle school students died from the stabbing, and the perpetrator also later died after jumping from the third story to avoid police arrest. [YONHAP]

CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang — Police are investigating the case of a man in his 20s who attacked four middle school students, killing two and injuring a third, at a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, on Wednesday. Police believe he committed the attack after becoming enraged upon learning that a middle school girl he liked had a boyfriend.

Officers obtained this account from one of the students who survived and was at the scene. Police are also examining whether the man planned the attack, as they have confirmed that he purchased a knife just before the incident.

Man meets girl online, calls her to motel

According to police, the attack took place between 4:24 p.m. and 5:08 p.m. Wednesday in a third‑floor room of a motel in Masanhoewon District, Changwon.

The suspect, a man surnamed Hong, is believed to have held a knife to the neck of one female student while stabbing another female student, surnamed Jeong, and two male students — one of them surnamed Kim. Jeong and Kim died, while the other male student was critically injured. The surviving female student was uninjured.

When officers knocked on the door after receiving an emergency call, Hong jumped out of the room’s window, which was 8 meters (26.2 feet) above the ground. He suffered multiple fractures and other critical injuries, and later died at a hospital.

Police reconstructed the sequence of events using the testimony of the surviving female student and nearby security camera footage. About two weeks before the attack, Hong had met Kim and the surviving female student after getting to know them through a social media chat room. Police said it did not appear to be a meeting arranged in exchange for money, and understood that the teenagers had simply spent time with Hong earlier at his home in South Gyeongsang. Police are checking what type of chat room it was.

Police restrict access to a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, to investigate a stabbing incident that took place on Dec. 3. Two middle school students died from the stabbing, and the perpetrator also later died after jumping from the third story to avoid police arrest. [YONHAP]

Hong had continued contacting Kim. On the day of the attack, he rented a motel room and sent her a message telling her to “come meet him.” She arrived at the motel with the surviving female student and the two male students. The two female students arrived first at around 4:24 p.m. ‘He became angry after hearing that she had a boyfriend’

Hong asked the surviving female student to step outside, saying he had something to tell Kim. He then locked the door. When the surviving girl heard a thudding noise from inside, she became frightened and contacted the boys, who were nearby. When the two boys knocked on the door, Hong opened it, and the four teenagers spoke with him inside. Police believe an argument broke out before the stabbing began.

The surviving female student told police that Hong appeared to have committed the attack out of anger after learning that Kim, whom Hong liked, “had a boyfriend.”

Police received a call at 5:07 p.m. from Kim. She did not explain what was happening, but officers could hear raised voices and someone shouting "stop it," and rushed to the scene. When officers knocked at the guest room door at 5:11 p.m., Hong leaped from the window. By that time, he had already stabbed the three students.

Police inspect the nearby scene of a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, to investigate a stabbing incident that took place on Dec. 3. Two middle school students died from the stabbing, and the perpetrator also later died after jumping from the third story to avoid police arrest. [YONHAP]

Police inspect the nearby scene of a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, to investigate a stabbing incident that took place on Dec. 3. Two middle school students died from the stabbing, and the perpetrator also later died after jumping from the third story to avoid police arrest. [YONHAP]

A premeditated crime?

Police confirmed that Hong bought the knife in advance. He checked into the motel at 2:45 p.m., about one hour and 40 minutes before the teenagers arrived. Approximately two minutes earlier, he had purchased alcohol and a knife at a nearby store.

Police are checking whether he bought the knife after learning about the girl’s boyfriend and are conducting forensic analysis on five mobile phones connected to the case.

"There are possibilities such as simple threats or an attempted extreme act, so it is difficult at this stage to conclude that the attack was premeditated," said a police official.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY AN DAE-HUN [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]