240,000 lonely wolves in the shade

The suspects behind the latest string of random killing and violence have common feature of being withdrawn and socially isolated. Choi Won-jong, a 22-year-old who drove his car into pedestrians and then went on a stabbing rampage at a bustling department store near Seohyeon Station in Budang, Gyeonggi grew up in a common middle-class home. But after failing to get into an elite high school, he went astray and aloof from his family. Repeated trials and failures only worsened his sense of defeatism and further separated him from society.

Jo Seon, a 33-year-old who earlier went on a lethal knife-wielding rampage near Sillim Station in Seoul was the same. He burst out resentment towards society because nothing worked for him no matter how hard he tried. In a police questioning, he said he wanted to kill to make others unhappy like himself.

The back-to-back violent crimes underscore the gravity of the rage brewing at the bottom. The sprout of copycat crime threats suggests the underlying frustration and discontent. The fact that South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world reflects the dark side.

Unstable youths who have the potential to become dangerous loners are rising by an alarming pace. Patients suffering from anxiety disorders in their 20s surged 86.8 percent to 110,351 in 2021 from 59,080 in 2017. A survey by the Office of Government Policy Coordination in March showed that 240,000 among youths aged 19 to 34 categorized themselves as “isolated loners.” When the loneliness and desperation of these unstable youths will develop into a vengeful rage cannot be known.

The hardship of the young is worsening. Among those aged between 15 and 29, 390,000 were idle after giving up finding a job last year, up 30 percent from five years ago. Delinquency rate of bank borrowers of those in their 20s and under reached a record high 0.44 percent in the second quarter. The ratio is twice bigger than the 0.2 percent for borrowers in their 50s.

The social media culture forcing one to check and envy glamorous lifestyle of others from childhood has worsened dissatisfaction of the young. The flashy attention-seeking and materialistic nature of social media can worsen hatred toward oneself and others. There is a depression type coined as KAFAIN after popular social medial platforms Kakaostory, Facebook and Instagram.

To contain rage, social nets must be strengthened, and opportunities broadened so that those feeling defeated are not pushed to the extremes of resorting to violence. Stronger punishments and police response are necessary. But without fundamental change in social structure and mindset, the random killings and other crimes cannot be stopped. The society must warm up and reach out to reclusive ones.