Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Police arrest American tourist attacker
By Kim Rahn
Police apprehended a 31-year-old man suspected of having stabbed a female American tourist in Myeong-dong, central Seoul last month.
Seongseo Police in Daegu said Thursday they were questioning the man, identified as Lee, on charges of attempted murder. Lee is suspected of having stabbed the 48-year-old woman and fled at around 8 p.m. on April 26.
The American was not hurt as she was wearing a heavy coat and scarf.
Lee confessed to the crime while being questioned about another crime _ he was arrested on April 30 for stabbing two women in their 20s with a knife in Daegu.
“He gave a detailed description of the Myeong-dong crime. We confirmed that Lee got a ticket for illegal parking at a site 250 meters away from the crime scene on the day. We also checked his phone records and he was near the scene at that time,” a police officer said.
He told police that he just wanted to kill women.
“Lee, who was released from a prison on April 5, received medical treatment for mental problems during a previous two-year jail term,” the officer said.