A tragic incident occurred at an elementary school in South Korea where a teacher fatally wounded an eight-year-old girl, creating distress throughout the country.

The female educator in her 40s has admitted to the stabbing, which took place in Daejeon, according to police reports.

The child was discovered with serious injuries on the second floor of the school building around 18:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Monday. Despite immediate medical attention, she was pronounced dead at the hospital. The teacher was found nearby with stab wounds that authorities believe may have been self-inflicted.

In response to this shocking event, South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, called for a thorough investigation and emphasized the need for measures to prevent future occurrences.

On Tuesday, locals paid tribute by leaving flowers and a stuffed animal at the school’s entrance, which was closed to the public.

Prior to the incident, the teacher had requested a six-month leave due to depression but returned to work only 20 days later after a medical evaluation deemed her fit to continue.

Authorities clarified that there was no prior relationship between the teacher and the victim.

Just days before the stabbing, the teacher exhibited concerning behavior, including an incident where she put another teacher in a headlock. Investigators from the education department had been present at the school that very morning to look into this altercation.

The girl was reported missing on Monday evening when her bus driver notified the school that she hadn’t been picked up.

Police have stated they will continue their investigation, including additional questioning of the teacher once she recovers from surgery.

Following the earlier incident with the colleague, the education office had recommended the teacher be suspended and kept separate from other staff. As a precaution, she was assigned a seat near the vice principal to ensure closer supervision.

Since her leave in December, the teacher had not been conducting classes and had no contact with the eight-year-old student, according to local officials.

South Korea is generally considered a safe country with stringent gun control laws; however, recent years have seen an increase in high-profile violent incidents, including stabbings.

Expressing his sorrow over the incident, acting president Choi remarked, “It is heartbreaking to witness such a tragedy, as schools should be our safest environments.” He extended his condolences to the family of the victim, who are experiencing immense grief and shock.