One man has been arrested after driving a car into a walkway and stabbing multiple people south of Seoul.

Yoon Sung-hyun, an official from the southern Gyeonggi provincial police department, said on Thursday at least nine people were stabbed and five others were injured by the vehicle. Police did not confirm whether any were in serious condition.

Authorities arrested a suspect in his 20s at the scene and were questioning him. Police did not identify the man or offer any immediate information about a potential motive.

The head of the National Police Agency described the attack as “virtually an act of terrorism”.

An official at Gyeonggi’s provincial fire department, Ha Dong-geun, said at least two of the wounded were admitted to hospital in serious condition.

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

A knife-wielding man stabbed at least four pedestrians on a street in the South Korean capital, Seoul, on July 21.

They said a man in his 30s with a criminal record that was not specified was arrested. The motivation behind the attack was not immediately clear.

Min Moon-ki, an official from Seoul’s Gwanak district police office, said the victim who died was male but did not share his personal details. Moon said at least one of the three who were being treated for injuries was in critical condition.