Jeju woman under police protection killed by former partner
A Jeju woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her former partner 26 days after police gave her a panic button smartwatch, but the device was not activated.
A roadside near a construction site in Yeon-dong, Jeju City, where a woman under police protection was stabbed to death by her former partner on Oct. 12
CHOI CHOONG-IL
JEJU ISLAND — A woman under police protection on Jeju Island was reportedly stabbed to death by her former partner early Monday, less than a month after receiving a panic button smartwatch from police.
The Jeju Seobu Police Station said it has arrested the suspect, a man in his 60s, and is in the process of questioning him.
He is accused of stabbing the woman, who is in her 40s, to death at around 1:38 a.m. on a road in front of a construction site in Yeon-dong, Jeju City, according to police. She was walking with him when he tried to force her into his SUV and stabbed her several times. She was later found collapsed by the side of the road.
Police were dispatched after a passerby found the woman bleeding on the ground and reported it. The man fled immediately after the attack and was caught about three and a half hours later, at around 5:08 a.m., on a road in Geonip-dong, Jeju City.
The victim had reported the man to police several times for dating violence and stalking, according to the investigation. Police designated her as a crime victim eligible for safety measures, registered her in the 112 emergency call system and gave her a smartwatch she could use to contact the police in emergencies on Sept. 16.
She was killed 26 days later. She was wearing the smartwatch at the time of the attack but the device was not activated.
The smartwatch can be used for six months from the date it is issued, and the period can be extended if police determine there is a risk of retaliation. When a person under safety measures calls police through the device, officers consult past reports and related records to decide how to respond.
The woman’s earlier reports were reportedly closed at the scene, and no restraining order or similar measure was issued against the man.
Police are investigating the exact motive and circumstances of the killing and plan to seek an arrest warrant for the man once the investigation is complete.
BY CHOI CHOONG-IL [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
