8-year-old student in South Korea dies after being stabbed by teacher

South Korean police found a teacher and an 8-year-old student with stab wounds on the second floor of an elementary school building in Seo District, Daejeon City, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 6 p.m. on February 10. Emergency services took the student to a hospital but he was pronounced dead.

The teacher, in her 40s, suffered injuries to her arms and neck and was conscious. Police said she admitted to the attack when questioned that evening. Officials believe she may have caused the injuries herself after stabbing the student.

The student usually stayed in the boarding class at school until 4:20 p.m., then went to the art class, which started at 4:40 p.m. After the art class reported the student's absence, the student's parents reported it to the police at 5:18 p.m.

The elementary school also notified the police at 5:50 p.m. that someone was locked in the audiovisual room on the second floor of the building. Police entered the room and found the teacher and student lying on the floor.

Police found a knife, believed to be the murder weapon, at the scene. The audiovisual room did not have surveillance cameras, so it will take time for authorities to determine the cause.

"The teacher is undergoing surgery. We will start an investigation as soon as possible," said an official from the Daejeon Police Station. The teacher had taken a leave of absence last year due to depression and returned to work at the end of the year and had no contact with the victim.