146 motive-less violent attacks recorded from 2023 to 2025, 87% occurred in public venues
Police data show 146 violent assaults with no clear motive between 2023 and 2025, most of which happened in crowded public areas such as malls and subway stations.
According to one outlet Police Agency, 146 violent attacks lacking an identifiable motive were recorded between 2023 and 2025, a category now termed "abnormal motive crimes." An overwhelming 87% of these assaults occurred in public settings such as shopping malls, streets, and subway stations. The annual tally declined from 46 incidents in 2023 to 39 in 2025, and knives were used in 59 of the cases.
The latest example is a knife attack at an Incheon commercial complex that injured eight people, with the perpetrator citing personal dissatisfaction with medical treatment as his reason. Officials suggest criminalising the possession of weapons in public places and conducting risk assessments on individuals flagged as potential threats, yet no such assessment was performed for the Incheon assailant despite a prior investigation for weapon possession during a hospital protest. Some cases are later reclassified when motives are uncovered, as illustrated by Jang Yoon-ki's 2024 attack in Gwangju, which was initially thought random but later linked to a kidnapping and rape plan.
Why it matters
Understanding motive-less attacks helps shape policies to protect public spaces and prevent future indiscriminate violence.
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