By A Correspondent

A devastating incident has shaken South Korea after a teacher fatally stabbed an eight-year-old girl at an elementary school in Daejeon.

The teacher, a woman in her 40s, confessed to the crime and was found with self-inflicted stab wounds beside the victim .

The incident occurred on Monday evening, with the girl being discovered on the second floor of the school building at 6 pm local time.

Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead at the hospital. The teacher had been experiencing depression and had requested a six-month leave of absence in December, but returned to school just 20 days later after being deemed fit to work .

What’s particularly alarming is that the teacher had displayed violent behavior just days before the stabbing, including putting another teacher in a headlock. Education officials had visited the school that morning to investigate the altercation, but no action was taken to prevent the tragedy.

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered an investigation into the case and urged authorities to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The school was closed on Tuesday, with locals laying flowers and tributes at the gate.

This incident has raised concerns about school safety in South Korea, which is generally considered a safe country with strict gun control laws. However, recent years have seen a rise in high-profile crimes, including stabbings .