A screen captures from JTBC coverage shows a knife attack in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on April 14, in which another customer (right) overpowers the suspect. (Yonhap)
A screen captures from JTBC coverage shows a knife attack in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on April 14, in which another customer (right) overpowers the suspect. (Yonhap)

A South Korean man made headlines recently for his heroic intervention at a local convenience store, protecting an employee by subduing a knife-wielding man with his bare hands.

The suspect in his 50s is under investigation by police in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. He is accused of violence, bodily injury on another and possessing a weapon in a public place.

The man who overpowered the suspect with his bare hands is being hailed as a hero, with police reviewing plans to award him with a certificate of appreciation.

In an incident that occurred at around 5:20 p.m. on April 14 at a Yangsan store, the man witnessed the suspect speaking with a store employee. The employee seemed to be frightened, and he noticed that the suspect was carrying a small knife.

He said that he could not just leave the employee, and tried not to agitate the suspect. "(The suspect) was too close to the employee, so I stared at him to lure him away from the employee. I signaled (the employee) to call the police," he told local media outlets.

The suspect threatened him by saying he could be stabbed, saying he has several scars on his body. This led to a scuffle, with the man ultimately overpowering the suspect.

He sustained a minor injury on his hand while fighting the suspect, which he apparently did not even realize due to the urgency of the situation.

It was found that the suspect had been drinking in front of the convenience store for five hours before he attacked another customer with his hands.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com