In relation to the stalking and murder case that occurred in an officetel in Jung-gu, Seoul, the police admitted that they failed to respond, saying, "I failed to protect the safety of the people," and decided to create a stalking crime response improvement task force.



The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency issued a position today (22nd) and said, "I am sorry to all the Seoul Police officers including the Commissioner. We take the public's rebuke seriously and offer our deepest apologies to the deceased, their families and the people."



He continued, "The police were not more sophisticated, swift, and thorough, and as a result, they failed to protect the safety of the people."



The task force will include the chief of the Jungbu Police Station, which is the police station in charge of the case, people in charge of the Seoul National Police Agency, and outside experts.



Suspect Kim (35) is charged with stabbing and killing his ex-girlfriend, A, in her 30s, at an officetel in Jeo-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul around 11:30 am on the 19th of this month.



Mr. A was under police protection under the Stalking Punishment Act after Mr. Kim threatened to kill him on the 7th.



On the day of Kim's crime, Mr. A made two emergency calls with the smart watch he was given, but the police arrived at the scene 12 minutes after the first call due to the technical limitations of the 112 system that could not pinpoint the exact location.



When the police arrived at the scene, Mr. Kim had already fled and Mr. A was taken to the hospital, but died.



The police arrested Kim at a hotel near Dongdaegu Station around 12:40 pm on the 20th and applied for an arrest warrant for murder.



The police said, "The suspect admitted to the crime, but we will continue to investigate the exact motive, etc."



Regarding the claim that Victim A's acquaintances claimed that 'I was stalked for a year, but the police response was insufficient', he said, "There were a total of 5 reports before. We took measures such as implementing interim measures, entering a temporary dormitory, and accompanying the person who reported it to visit their residence and check their safety,” he emphasized. 



(Photo = Yonhap News)