“Is this really South Korea?” Police armed with machine guns and armored vehicles patrol busy streets of Seoul

Due to a series of stabbings, armed members of the Police Special Operation Unit stand on guard in front of an armored vehicle at the Gangnam Station intersection in Seoul on August 6, a Sunday. Su Sung-il, Senior Reporter

At 11 a.m. August 6, a Sunday, an armored vehicle covered in steel plates was dispatched to Gangnam Station Exit 11, a place usually packed with citizens out for the weekend. Members of the Police Special Operation Unit patrolled the area around Gangnam Station fully armed with MP5 submachine guns and pistols, tazer guns, handcuffs, and expandable batons. Citizens, bewildered at the unfamiliar combination of machine guns and busy city streets, took pictures asking, “Is this really South Korea?”

On Sunday, the police assigned 128 Special Operation Unit officers from fifteen police agencies nationwide to 45 locations to prepare for any possible violence. They were dispatched to areas known to attract a large crowd, such as Jongno-2ga Station, Hyehwa Station, Gangnam Station, and Jamsil Station. The police announced that they considered the fact that Sillim-dong and Seohyeon Station in Bundang, where the recent stabbings occurred, were both busy areas packed with people, and that the areas mentioned in the “murder warnings” were also busy areas. The police also dispatched eleven armored vehicles including the one at Gangnam Station in Seoul.

The recent incidents shattered the popular belief that crowded places were safe, and citizens could not hide their concern. Choi Gyu-min (28), a worker living in Bomun-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul explained, “I pass by COEX when commuting to and from work, and the building was designed to have people gather in one place.” He said, “Before, I had a sense of comfort when passing places like this, but now, I’m actually more afraid of these places for fear I might be the target of violence.” He also said, “Even when I’m walking down an ordinary street, I find myself looking back frequently and checking to see what people have in their hands.”

Yun (29), another worker who often goes to work in the early hours said, “It’s scary because there’s no difference between the early hours and the afternoon anymore.” Yun, a woman, said in the past she mostly felt afraid when passing through dark streets on her way to work before the sun rose. But after the latest stabbings, she said she feared all streets. Yun said, “When I go to work before dawn, I don’t put my earphones on just in case. But when I get off work in the afternoon, I used to enjoy watching variety shows to cool my mind,” and added, “Now, I tend to look around even when I get off work.” She further said, “It’s become a habit to ask my colleagues at work if they returned home safely.”

More than a few citizens mentioned that they were reminded of the shootings in the U.S. when they saw the series of stabbings that occurred recently. In both countries, an unspecified mass could be the target of the violence and when faced with such a criminal situation, the victims’ lives could be at risk regardless of their physical abilities. Choi said, “I’m tall and big, so I’ve never gotten in a fight, but the recent stabbings are terrifying for you can fall victim regardless of your physique.” He also said, “The general principle that you can avoid crimes if you’re big and you are good and don’t make anyone angry has been broken.” On Twitter (X), “shootings” appeared several times as a real-time trending topic shortly after the stabbing in Sillim-dong.

Sunday, there were not a lot of people around Gangnam Station. The underground arcade around Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, usually packed with people waiting to meet friends for weekend lunch appointments, was empty even until after noon. Yi (30), who has been selling jewelry here for eight years said, “It has severely dampened business in this area,” and added, “Yesterday was a Saturday, and seriously, there were too few people. It was like a traditional holiday.”

Some citizens claimed that the presence of police armored vehicles actually fueled public anxiety. Yi said, “I agree with being careful, but the police are creating an atmosphere of fear, which is why people are not coming.” She said, “I think they should strengthen punishment for the person arrested, rather than engage in preventive activities just for show.” Gan Eun-seon (29) said, “I think the police patrolling the area is better than not doing anything.” She explained, “The armored vehicle was dispatched in terms of making a visible show of power” and added, “It is a way to prevent any intention to commit a crime in advance.”

More people also purchased self-defense items out of fear. Ahn, a worker, described the world as a scary place and said, “I’m going to buy two tear gas guns, one for my girlfriend and one for myself.” According to 11Street on Sunday, from July 22, the day after the stabbing in Sillim-dong, until August 3, the sales of self-defense items increased by 202% compared with the same period last year. Interpark also announced that the sale of self-defense items during the same period increased by 123% year-over-year.