A man in his 40s who stabbed a foreign woman he had never met on a street in Seoul's Seongdong District and fled has been indicted while in custody. Police initially applied a charge of attempted murder but changed it to attempted robbery-murder after investigating, and also confirmed that he had committed several thefts before and after the attack.
The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office indicted the man, identified only as A, on charges of attempted robbery-murder and habitual theft on the 28th of last month, according to legal sources on the 1st.
A is accused of wielding a knife at a foreign woman in her 50s on a street near Sangwangsimni Station in Seongdong District at about 1 a.m. on the 2nd of last month, injuring her before fleeing. The two were found to have had no prior acquaintance.
The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of a neck injury. Her injuries were minor and not life-threatening.
Police tracked A after he fled the scene and arrested him without a warrant that afternoon at a location in Seoul.
Police applied a charge of attempted murder at the time of the arrest but later changed it to attempted robbery-murder based on the findings of their investigation before requesting an arrest warrant and referring the case to prosecutors.
The Seoul Eastern District Court held a pre-detention hearing for A on the 4th of last month. The court issued the arrest warrant, citing a risk of flight and the absence of a fixed residence.
The investigation also confirmed that A had repeatedly committed theft before and after the stabbing. Police added a charge of habitual theft, and prosecutors indicted him on both attempted robbery-murder and habitual theft.
