A Seoul court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 60s accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in Eunpyeong-gu, citing the risk of flight.
Seoul Western District Court Judge Park Seok-keun granted the warrant following a pre-trial detention hearing for the suspect. He faces murder charges for killing the victim, a woman in her 70s, at his residence in Bulgwang-dong on Thursday.
Appearing for the hearing earlier in the day, the suspect remained silent as reporters asked him with questions including the motive for the crimes.
Police found the suspect unconscious beside the deceased victim shortly after the incident. He was rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment and discharged the following day before being taken into custody.
During police questioning, the suspect largely admitted to the charges.
Investigations revealed that the victim had suffered long-term stalking by the suspect. Between September 2024 and the time of her death, she filed four police reports against him for stalking.
Following her third report on July 18, police arrested the suspect for breaching a restraining order after he went to her home and strangled her. Although police requested an arrest warrant, prosecutors rejected it, citing his stage-4 lung cancer and the need for further investigation.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
