Man in 30s Arrested for Murdering Japanese Woman After Stock Investment Failures

A man in his 30s has been arrested on charges of murdering a Japanese national whom he previously knew.

Judge Noh Seung-wook, the warrant judge at the Cheonan Branch of the Daejeon District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Suspect A, who is facing murder charges, following a pre-trial detention hearing that began at around 11:00 a.m. today (October 30).

Judge Noh stated the reason for issuing the warrant, citing concerns that the suspect might flee.

Earlier in the day, Suspect A arrived at the Cheonan Branch for the warrant hearing wearing a hat pulled down low and a white mask covering his face.

He kept his head bowed and remained silent in response to reporters' questions such as "What was your motive for the crime?" and "Aren't you sorry to the victim?"

Suspect A is accused of wielding a weapon and murdering B (a Japanese national in her 20s) inside an officetel in Dujeong-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, around 4:20 p.m. on October 28, before fleeing the scene.

According to the investigation, Suspect A visited B's residence carrying a weapon he had prepared in advance and attacked her. At the time, B had reportedly called an acquaintance to ask for help.

Responding to a report from B's acquaintance, police tracked escape routes and arrested Suspect A at around 1:06 a.m. on October 29 at a lodging facility in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.

Police investigations revealed that the two knew each other and had met twice this year, but were not romantically involved.

It was also confirmed that there was no history of stalking-related reports.

During police questioning, Suspect A reportedly stated, "I suffered losses from failed stock investments and saw no future, so I decided to end my life. I was too scared to die alone, and B, whom I knew, came to mind, so I tried to die together with her."

(Photo provided by a reader, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.