SEOUL: Nine people have been stabbed and four others hurt by a car driven by the suspected attacker on Thursday in the South Korean commuter town of Seongnam near the capital Seoul, police said.

One person has been arrested, police said in a statement.

The attack occurred near Seohyeon station, an area about 20 km (12.43 miles) from Seoul that has a large department store and other shops and where many commuters live.

Police said 12 of the victims had been hospitalised.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

The incident comes just days after another rare stabbing attack in Seoul in which one person was killed and three others wounded.