SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Hundreds of South Koreans marched in one of Seoul’s busiest leisure districts on Saturday to protest the stabbing death of a 23-year-old woman. Her death has struck a nerve in a country where, despite its reputation for being relatively safe, many women say they are increasingly afraid of threats, abuse and attacks by men.
The protesters, many wearing white masks and vinyl coats, began their march at a gate of southern Seoul’s Gangnam subway station, near where the victim was attacked by a male stranger early Tuesday in a building’s bathroom.
It was the fourth straight day of memorial events and other gatherings following the attack.
The gate has been covered by seemingly thousands of post-it messages, the majority of them apparently from women who expressed grief and fears about potentially becoming random targets of violence. Post-it walls have appeared in other major South Korean cities as well, including Busan and Daejeon.
“As another woman in her 20s, I feel devastated about this incident because it could have been me,” read a note attached to the subway gate in Seoul.