Tensions have risen among major retailers operating department stores and shopping malls following an incident on the 13th in Guwol-dong, Incheon, where a suspect in his 60s wearing an electronic ankle monitor attacked customers with a knife, seriously injuring eight people. This incident marks the first "indiscriminate terror" attack at a public facility in over three years since the stabbing incident at the complex shopping mall near Seohyeon Station in Bundang in August 2023.
According to industry sources on the 15th, major domestic retailers are maintaining building safety management and security personnel on standby to prepare for various potential threats, including terrorism and fires, at their large-scale stores. Lotte Department Store’s main branch conducts emergency response drills related to fires and terrorism by utilizing regular closure days and carries out fire suppression training once a month. On the morning of the 14th, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:10 a.m., a joint emergency evacuation drill was conducted in preparation for fire and anti-terrorism situations, with participation from officials at the Central Fire Station. The company explained that it operates enhanced security management manuals at individual stores during periods of heightened social concern immediately following indiscriminate terror incidents at public facilities like the recent one.
Shinsegae Department Store has established comprehensive anti-terrorism safety management guidelines. It has built an organizational system covering all stages—prevention, response, and recovery—for terrorism across all its stores and designated responsible personnel. Hyundai Department Store is also operating response guidelines to protect the safety of customers and employees from various terrorist threats, such as bomb placements and indiscriminate stabbings.
Industry observers predict that the level of anti-terrorism safety management responses at each store will remain elevated for the time being. An industry official said, "Because it is immediately after an incident involving casualties, there may be a trend toward avoiding public facilities, so major stores are likely to strengthen safety management and security activities for a while."
Searches and sales of self-defense products have surged significantly on major e-commerce platforms. On Coupang, searches for women’s self-defense items such as pepper spray, whistles, and personal alarms have increased substantially recently, with sales revenue rising by double digits compared to the beginning of the year. The 1,000-won emergency LED (light-emitting diode) whistle set sold at Daiso (photo) has been sold out on online malls and is reportedly difficult to find in offline stores due to insufficient inventory. On 11th, transactions in the self-defense product category—including batons, personal alarms, and self-defense sprays—increased by 158% year-on-year over the two days following the 13th. In particular, transactions for personal alarms, which create noise to signal emergencies, increased by more than five times.
Interest in self-defense products tends to concentrate immediately after violent crimes occur. Searches for self-defense items surged significantly in early May, when the Jang Yun-gi incident occurred, and at the end of August, when the identity of a missing woman in Jeju was confirmed. Similarly, following the indiscriminate stabbing incidents in Sinlim-dong and near Seohyeon Station in Bundang in 2023, sales of self-defense products on major e-commerce platforms such as Gmarket and 11th increased by more than three times compared to the same period last year.
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