Discontent fuels rage crimes in South Korea

SEOUL — The painter was renovating the exterior of an apartment block when he plunged to his death. Incensed by noise from the workman’s phone, a resident went to the roof and cut the painter’s safety rope, sending the father-of-five plunging 40 metres to his death. 

The murder this summer in Yangsan city is one of an increasing number of rage crimes to grip South Korea as it confronts a rise in social tensions that remained mostly dormant during decades of breakneck economic development. 

The authorities have recorded a nearly 50 per cent rise in the number of impulsive assaults during the past decade — from 40,464 in 2006 to 60,254 last year — and experts blame the increase on growing unemployment, economic inequality and social discontent. 

“There is a growing sense of deprivation and alienation among the country’s poor. Some of them are frustrated over increasing social inequality and can violently vent their anger over trivial incidents,” said Dr Lee Yoon-ho, a criminology professor at Dongguk University. “These crimes, driven by rage and anger, are expected to increase unless the underlying social problems are addressed.”

The growth of rage crimes has been compounded in the public psyche by a series of high-profile incidents. 

In June, a disgruntled student at a prestigious university sent a parcel bomb to the office of a professor who had earlier criticised his academic work.

The same month, a telecoms repairman was murdered by a customer miffed over slow Internet speeds. 

In a high-profile case from 2014, a Korean Air executive assaulted a flight attendant and ordered the aircraft return to its terminal after she was dissatisfied with the way the crew served her macadamia nuts. 

Such incidents have contributed to a growing sense of insecurity in a nation that is otherwise considered safe. 

Seoul National University’s psychology Professor Kwak Geum-joo said decades of rapid industrialisation — often at the expense of citizens’ livelihoods — were to blame for the spate of attacks, highlighting that many poorer South Koreans were unhappy with growing social and economic inequality. 

Unemployment, particularly among the young, is also a source of concern. 

Figures for July published this month showed youth unemployment at 9.3 per cent, up from 9.2 per cent a year earlier. 

A study by the South Korean government last year found that only one in five Koreans believed that upward mobility through hard work was possible. 

For Prof Kwak, South Korea must strengthen its social safety net and increase funding for mental healthcare to help those struggling with the rapidly changing economic and social environment.  

A 2015 study by the Korean Association of Psychiatric Practitioners found that 10 per cent of South Koreans needed treatment for symptoms of impulse control disorder. 

“Many people with mental problems don’t seek professional help and are afraid of social stigma and the economic cost. As a result, they become more dangerous and unpredictable,” said Prof Kwak. “It is time for the nation to pay more attention to people’s mental well-being, as well as economic welfare, to prevent violent crimes by those with impulse control disorder.” FINANCIAL TIMES