A tragic incident has shocked South Korea after an elementary school teacher strangled and fatally stabbed an 8-year-old student, Kim Ha-neul, inside a school audiovisual room.
The crime was discovered after Kim’s family became alarmed when they lost contact with her. Her father, who had access to her phone’s audio through an app, sensed danger after hearing unusual sounds around 4:50 p.m.
“I didn’t hear Ha-neul’s voice anymore. Instead, I heard an old woman gasping, drawers opening and closing, and the sound of a bag being unzipped,” he told reporters.
An hour later, Kim’s grandmother found the teacher covered in blood inside the audiovisual room and immediately alerted the police. Officers searched the room and found the young girl with multiple stab wounds.
Authorities revealed that the suspect had taken a leave of absence starting December 9, 2024, due to depression. Although she was supposed to be away for six months, she returned after just 20 days, presenting a medical certificate claiming she was fit to work.
Four days before the attack, the teacher had displayed violent behavior toward a colleague after being asked a simple question.
Kim’s father said his daughter had dozens of stab wounds, including on her hands, indicating she had fought for her life.
“Police told me not to look at my daughter’s body because it would be too painful… My daughter has become a star in the sky. There should never be another case like Ha-neul’s,” he said.
