The funeral procession for a high school student killed in a stabbing attack in Gwangju on May 5 is held at a funeral hall in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, on May 7. [YONHAP]
A funeral was held on Thursday for a high school student who was killed in a random stabbing attack in downtown Gwangju on Tuesday, as family members, classmates and teachers gathered to mourn her death.
Mourners began arriving early in the morning at a funeral hall in Gwangsan District, where the student’s funeral altar had been set up, paying their respects as the funeral procession got underway.
The high schooler was fatally stabbed at around 12:11 a.m. on Tuesday near a university in Gwangsan District, allegedly by a 24-year-old suspect surnamed Jang whom the victim did not know.
A student from another school who approached the scene upon hearing the victim scream was also injured after the suspect swung the knife near his neck. Although the two high schoolers were immediately transferred to the hospital, the female victim was later pronounced dead.
After Thursday's funeral procession, the hearse headed to the victim's high school, where teachers and students gathered to pay their final respects.
The family slowly walked through the school grounds alongside the student's traditional funeral portrait, then headed to the crematorium.
The portrait of the victim of a fatal stabbing in Gwangju on May 5 is displayed at the victim's funeral in Gwangju on May 7. [YONHAP]
The suspect, Jang, appeared at the Gwangju District Court in Dong District, Gwangju, on the same day for a pretrial detention hearing, wearing a black mask.
When asked if he had anything to say to the victim or her family, he replied, “I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry."
“I committed an unforgivable crime, and I am sorry,” he added.
The suspect in a fatal stabbing of a student in Gwangju on May 5 attends a pretrial detention hearing at the Gwangju District Court in Dong District, Gwangju, on May 7. [YONHAP]
The court is expected to decide whether to formally detain Jang by late Thursday.
During police questioning on Tuesday, the suspect reportedly claimed the attack was spontaneous.
“My life was not enjoyable, and I suddenly felt the urge to commit the crime while contemplating my own suicide," he said.
However, the police said they are investigating the possibility that the attack was premeditated after discovering that the suspect allegedly washed his bloodstained clothing at a self-service laundromat following the stabbing. The police said the act may constitute destruction of evidence.
Investigators also plan to conduct a psychological assessment, a repeat-offense risk evaluation and a review on the public disclosure of Jang's identity.
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.
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