The discovery of a series of female bodies near Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, is fueling fears of a serial killer.
According to agencies including the Associated Press, South African police discovered the 10th female body on the 26th local time near a cemetery in the Ekurhuleni region, east of Johannesburg.
Local media reported that the body was partially undressed when found.
The local police chief hinted at the possibility of a serial killer, stating that similarities have been found in some of the 10 deaths recorded so far.
In Ekurhuleni, three female bodies were discovered sequentially within a 7-kilometer radius between July and August, and an additional six bodies were found within a 10-day span early this month.
Most of the victims are women in their 20s and 30s, and many were abandoned naked or partially undressed near roads or in vacant lots.
Public outrage has grown, particularly after the story came to light of a 38-year-old woman with an 8-year-old daughter who was found dead after going for a jog following work.
Police have deployed a behavioral analysis team to investigate connections between the cases.
However, regarding the case of the 9th victim found on the 17th, two women have been arrested and put on trial on murder charges.
Police currently view this particular case as separate from the rest.
According to the South African Human Rights Commission, 569 women were killed during just a three-month period from April to June this year.
The string of incidents has also emerged as a campaign issue ahead of the local elections scheduled for November 4.
Opposition parties are criticizing the government's security management and rushing to put forward pledges for women's safety and stronger public security.
The South Korean Embassy in South Africa has urged Korean expatriates to refrain from going out at night and traveling alone, and to carry identification at all times.
Reported by Yeo Hyeon-gyo | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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