Popularity of 'carrot knife' worries Korean parents
The popularity of the "carrot knife," a plastic toy knife shaped like a carrot, is on the rise among young Korean schoolchildren, worrying parents and educators.
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| YouTube videos on "carrot knives" / Screenshot from YouTube. (Source: Korea Times) |
Resembling a jackknife, the foldable knife captures children's attention for its distinctive sound and the tactile experience of playing with it. Many YouTube and TikTok videos demonstrate skillful ways of playing with the knife.
Despite originally being designed as a toy for those 14 or older, younger children can purchase it quite easily online or at places such as unmanned offline toy shops. Its affordability, priced between 1,000 and 2,000 won each, adds to its popularity.
Parents are expressing concerns about the increasing popularity of the item, as children often play by pretending they are stabbing people with it.
"A carrot knife - the toy knife that every child in the school seems to own - makes me worried. Do you guys allow your children to play with it?" one mother wrote in an online community.
Another wrote: "My first-grade son told me that his classmate brought the carrot knife to school and pretended to harm classmates for fun."
Also, another mother expressed her fear. "My sixth-grade son pretends to harm his dad with the knife. I think the school should address this issue."
Education authorities in some regions, including Daegu and South Chungcheong Province, recently issued letters to elementary schools, instructing them to monitor the prevalence of the carrot knife.
"In light of recent stabbing incidents, we are concerned that children may use the carrot knife to imitate what they have seen and heard. It is important to monitor the children so that they learn respect for life," according to the letter from the Daegu office.
