Police have launched an investigation after a student attacked a teacher with a weapon at a high school in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province.
According to Nonsan Police Station and the South Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education, a senior student identified as A wielded a weapon against a teacher in his 30s identified as B in the principal's office around 8:40 a.m. on Tuesday.
B sustained injuries to his back and neck and was transported to a nearby hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening, authorities confirmed.
A fled the school immediately after the attack but turned himself in by calling 112, the emergency line. Police apprehended him near the school.
The investigation revealed that A had visited the principal that morning requesting a meeting with B. After the principal arranged the conversation and left the room, A pulled out a weapon he had brought with him and carried out the attack, police said.
The two had a prior connection from when B served as head of student affairs at A's middle school. Conflicts reportedly arose during that time when B was responsible for disciplining A. B was transferred to the high school last month, bringing the two back into contact. However, B was not A's homeroom teacher, authorities confirmed.
Police are investigating the specific circumstances of the conflict between the two and the motive for the attack while reviewing whether to seek an arrest warrant.
Education authorities plan to provide psychological support and other follow-up measures for students and staff. "We will proceed with support to minimize trauma for school members," a South Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education official said.
The incident is the latest in a series of school weapon attacks in the Chungcheong region. In April last year, a student wielding a weapon injured six people including staff at a high school in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. In August 2023, a man in his 20s attacked a former teacher with a weapon in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon.
