A man fatally stabbed three people at a pizza restaurant in Seoul’s Gwanak District on Wednesday, police said, marking a rare act of violence in the South Korean capital. The 41-year-old suspect, identified as the shop’s owner, attacked a 49-year-old franchise employee, a 60-year-old interior contractor, and the contractor’s 32-year-old daughter before attempting to harm himself. Police said the victims were rushed to a hospital but later died.
Authorities said they plan to formally arrest the suspect once he is discharged from medical care. The attack, which shocked residents in Jowon-dong, has also drawn attention to the financial strains faced by small franchise owners, with industry insiders pointing to rising delivery fees and operating costs as sources of growing frustration.
Officers and paramedics rushed to the scene, where four people were found with stab wounds. Two men and one woman were taken to nearby hospitals but were later pronounced dead. The suspect, who had attempted to take his own life, was also hospitalized with self-inflicted injuries.
Officials added that the suspect will face murder charges once he is discharged from intensive care. Police are continuing to investigate the exact motive behind the killings, though they believe the attack stemmed from a dispute over interior construction costs.
The franchise pizza company denied that it had forced the suspect to undertake renovation work, insisting the disagreement was related to warranty repairs for broken tiles. Police said they are looking into the details of the dispute, including whether company-recommended contractors had carried out substandard work at the shop.
Neighbors said they were shocked by the attack, describing the street as usually quiet. “I thought there was a fire because so many ambulances arrived,” said one store owner nearby. “We didn’t know something this serious had happened until police told us.”
The stabbing has drawn attention to the financial difficulties faced by single-owner franchise outlets, especially in sectors heavily dependent on delivery platforms. Rising delivery fees and commissions have eaten into profit margins, leaving many owners struggling to stay afloat. Industry surveys show that more than half of sales revenue at such shops can be consumed by delivery-related costs.
Family members of the suspect told local media he had often complained about financial pressure, citing high delivery commissions and disputes with headquarters over new menu items. They claimed he frequently said he was on the verge of collapse. Experts say disputes between franchisees and franchisors over mandatory items, inflated costs, and renovation expenses are common and have led to lawsuits across the industry.
Business scholars argue that the government and regulators must step in to ease the financial burden on small franchise owners. “Unexpected costs can quickly push them into crisis,” said Seo Ji-yong, a business professor at Sangmyung University. Others stressed the need for clearer rules on franchise construction contracts, saying many owners feel unable to refuse company recommendations even when problems arise. Police said they will complete a full investigation into the Gwanak case once the suspect is in custody.
