Bereaved relatives to sue gov't over stabbing death of two middle schoolers in Changwon

The bereaved relatives of two middle school students who were stabbed to death at a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, will file a suit against the government for failing to manage an ex-convict's whereabouts.

The suspect in a knife attack at a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, buys the weapon used in the crime, circled in red, at a nearby mart just before entering the motel on Dec. 3. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The bereaved relatives of two middle school students who were stabbed to death at a motel in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, will file a suit against the government for failing to manage an ex-convict's whereabouts.

The case dates back to Dec. 3, 2025, when a man attacked three middle school students with a knife at a motel in Hapseong-dong, Masanhoewon District, Changwon, killing two and seriously injuring another.

The man later died after jumping from the scene. Investigators found he had been sentenced in 2019 to five years in prison and five years of probation for a sex crime involving a minor.

Questions have since been raised about lax oversight by the Ministry of Justice after it emerged that his actual residence differed from the address registered on the government’s sex offender notification system.

The families’ legal representatives plan to file a 400 million won ($270,000) state compensation claim with the Changwon District Court on Friday.

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

Law firm Taeryun pointed to what they called key lapses: the suspect was questioned by police hours before the attack for allegedly threatening another woman with a knife, but was released on the grounds that the case did not meet the requirements for an emergency arrest. They also said police confirmed he was on probation, but did not notify the probation office.

“The tragedy was not simply an individual’s deviation but the result of a breakdown in coordination among state agencies, including police and probation authorities,” said the law firm.

The lawsuit will scrutinize whether public authority functioned as it should have and bring institutional blind spots into public discussion to help prevent similar tragedies in the future, according to the legal attorney.

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 KO SEUNG-PYO [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]