Police plan to seek an arrest warrant for a man in his 60s accused of stabbing his former wife, who had been under police protection, leaving her in critical condition.
The Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said on the 20th that it planned to request an arrest warrant later that day for the man, identified only as A, who was taken into emergency custody the previous day on suspicion of attempted murder.
A is accused of waiting in front of the door of his ex-wife's home, a woman in her 60s identified as B, in the Bundang district of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at around 8:05 a.m. the previous day, then attacking her with a knife as she left for work before fleeing the scene. Police responded to a report from B's daughter and, based on her statement that "my father is on bad terms with my second aunt," B's older sister, named A as the prime suspect and requested cooperation from the Jungnang Police Station in Seoul.
About two hours after the attack, at around 10:19 a.m. the same day, police took A into emergency custody as he wandered with a knife outside the home of B's sister in Seoul's Jungnang district.
A has refused to say anything about his motive during questioning after his arrest, according to police. B was seriously wounded. She was taken to a hospital immediately after the attack and remains unconscious while receiving treatment. Police seized a knife and a blunt weapon found in A's bag and other belongings at the time of his arrest and sent them to the National Forensic Service for detailed analysis.
B had asked police for protection on the 16th of this month, three days before the attack, after growing anxious over repeated contact from A, who had returned to Korea in July after working in the Middle East and had been visiting her home and calling her with demands such as "let's gather as a family." Police offered to formally register a case, issue a warning to A and provide temporary lodging. B's side declined, saying it "could provoke her ex-husband," so police took only safety measures such as issuing a smartwatch and arranging patrols linked to the 112 emergency line.
After requesting protection, B stayed at the homes of acquaintances and relatives before returning to her own home on the 18th of this month to go to work, according to police. No prior reports of domestic violence or stalking between the two were found.
If the warrant is granted, police plan to question A to determine the exact motive for the attack.