Woman accused of attempting to murder acquaintance met online

A woman in her 20s has been arrested on charges of attempted murder, after she allegedly attacked with a knife an acquaintance who blocked her online.

According to Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station, the 24-year-old suspect allegedly stabbed the 27-year-old victim on Friday. The victim sustained injuries to her back and hands, and the suspect was apprehended later the same day.

The attack is said to have been motivated by the victim having blocked the suspect on social media after the two had a falling out. The suspect and the victim reportedly befriended each other online, and they had met in person about 10 times.

The victim allegedly blocked the suspect on her social media accounts, and told the suspect not to contact her again on Aug. 19. Angered by this, the suspect allegedly took the KTX from her home in Daejeon to Seoul, waited for the victim to come out of her apartment and then committed the crime.

During the investigation, the suspect allegedly claimed that she had intended to take her own life.

The police initially had applied for an arrest warrant as they believe the suspect had a clear motive for the crime, but the court canceled the warrant, saying there was no concern of the suspect fleeing or destroying evidence. The suspect was later released.

“We have taken personal safety measures for the victim immediately after the suspect’s release. We plan to transfer the suspect to the prosecution,” the police said.