Police said Monday a 25-year-old Filipino has been arrested in connection to the murder of a South Korean missionary in the Southeast Asian country last week, thanks to close collaboration between the law enforcement agencies of the two countries.

The Filipino is suspected of killing the 57-year-old man, surnamed Shim, earlier this month. The victim was attacked with a blunt weapon when he returned home from a workout early in the morning.

Following the incident, South Korean police immediately dispatched a team comprised of a CCTV expert, a profiler and a crime scene investigator to the Philippines.

After analyzing nearby CCTVs together with the South Korean squad, the local investigative authorities arrested the suspect some 250 meters away from the crime scene on Friday.

The Filipino authorities said the professional skills held by South Korean investigators contributed to arresting the suspect, according to Seoul police.

"We will work with the local authorities' investigation to prove the suspect carried out the crime and ask our Filipino counterparts to secure and analyze evidence if necessary," an NPA official said.

It was the third case police sent officers abroad to investigate a murder case involving a South Korean national.

Shim's death brought the number of South Koreans killed in the Philippines to three this year. On May 17, a 32-year-old Korean man was shot dead by an assailant near his house on the outskirts of Manila.

Last year, a total of 11 Korean nationals were killed in the Philippines. (Yonhap)