Father kills son in rare South Korea shooting; police arrest suspect, defuse bomb

Malay Mail

21-07-2025

SEOUL, July 21 — A fatal domestic shooting in South Korea over the weekend ended with a man dead, his father arrested, and an apartment block evacuated due to a bomb threat.
At around 9.30pm on Sunday, police in Incheon responded to an emergency call about a man who had allegedly shot his own son in a high-rise in Songdo International City, the Korea Herald reported.
The victim, believed to be in his 30s, was found in critical condition and later died in hospital after suffering cardiac arrest, according to the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station.
The suspect, identified only as the victim's father in his 60s, fled the scene with the weapon in hand.
Police arrested the man at around 12.20am Monday in Seoul's Gangnam-gu district, following a three-hour manhunt and a 30km pursuit.
During questioning, the suspect claimed he had planted an explosive in his Dobong-gu apartment in northern Seoul.
Police evacuated 105 residents from the building, and the bomb squad located and safely removed a homemade device containing accelerants and a timer.
Images circulating online showed police and emergency units outside the Songdo apartment, briefly fuelling rumours of a mass shooting before authorities confirmed a single fatality.
South Korea rarely sees gun violence due to strict firearm controls, and police described the weapon used as a crude, pipe-shaped firearm.
Investigators have sent both the firearm and the explosive materials to the National Forensic Service to determine their origins, while the suspect remains in custody for murder and weapons charges.