Suspect fled by taxi through Samgakji and Noryangjin after morning attack
Police tracked him via CCTV to acquaintance's home in Gwanak-gu
Victim suffered arm injury; condition not life-threatening
A man in his 70s who attacked an acquaintance with a sickle at the Ilmin Museum of Art near Gwanghwamun in Seoul was arrested about 10 hours after the incident.
Seoul's Jongno Police Station took the man, identified only as A, into custody on attempted murder charges and is questioning him, police said Friday.
A is accused of attacking a man in his 40s, identified as B, with a sickle at the Ilmin Museum of Art inside the Dong-A Ilbo building in Jongno-gu at around 7:47 a.m. Friday before fleeing.
A left the scene by taxi immediately after the attack and was later tracked moving through Samgakji in Yongsan-gu and Noryangjin in Dongjak-gu.
Police traced A's movements using CCTV footage and arrested him at the home of an acquaintance in Gwanak-gu. Because the attack occurred in the heart of central Seoul on a weekday morning, police also checked his escape route and assessed the possibility of further danger.
At the arrest scene, police secured a bag believed to belong to A. Inside was a white container filled with gasoline.
Victim B was taken to a nearby hospital with an arm injury and is receiving treatment. His condition is not life-threatening.
A and B were acquaintances. A had been working in a cleaning-related capacity around the Dong-A Ilbo building, while B had also worked inside the building before recently submitting his resignation.
Police plan to seek an arrest warrant after questioning A about the exact circumstances and motive of the attack, as well as why he was carrying gasoline.
kwater@heraldcorp.com
