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Man with ankle monitor arrested after writing blood message at Seoul police post

🇰🇷 South Korea, Seoul 17:33 Crime & justice Business4 Official updated 2 h ago first reported by 동아일보

In short

Seoul's Gwanak Police Station said on 20 October that it had booked a man in his 40s, identified only as A, on suspicion of obstructing official duties. He is accused of writing a message in blood on the wall of a local police post, then swearing at and pushing an officer there on 15 October. Four outlets reported that a prosecution office rejected the police request for an arrest warrant.

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Seoul's Gwanak Police Station said on 20 October that it had booked a man in his 40s, identified only as A, on suspicion of obstructing official duties and was investigating him. He is suspected of swearing at and pushing a police officer at a local police post (jigudae, 지구대) in Gwanak district at about 22:00 on 15 October. Police arrested him as a flagrant offender. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

According to the reports, A was reported to police on 14 October after a dispute with an acquaintance. He is said to have been unhappy because the officer who responded treated him as a criminal, and he went to the police post the next day. Newsis and Yonhap report that he found out when the officer would be on duty. Maeil Business says he claimed the officer had responded unfairly. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

In his statement to police, A said he waited outside the police post from about 17:00 on 15 October. At about 19:30, the day and night shift change, he went in, bit his finger and wrote in blood on the wall, appealing that he had been wronged, the outlets said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

After being reprimanded by police, A went home. He came back at about 22:00, shouted, used abusive language and pushed an officer. Police arrested him after about an hour of scuffling. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Newsis, Yonhap, Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo report that A was wearing an electronic ankle monitor because of a past sex crime. They also report that police applied for an arrest warrant, but the prosecution office (공소청) rejected it. Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo say police are continuing to investigate the exact course of events. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Why it matters

The documents give no wider consequences. The case is still under investigation, and the outlets stress that the man wore an electronic ankle monitor and that the warrant request was rejected.

Key facts

  • Gwanak Police Station in Seoul said on 20 October that it had booked a man in his 40s, identified as A, on suspicion of obstructing official duties and was investigating him. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • A is suspected of swearing at and pushing a police officer at a police post in Gwanak district at about 22:00 on 15 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • Earlier that evening, at about 19:30, he went into the police post, bit his finger and wrote a message in blood on the wall. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • He was wearing an electronic ankle monitor; four outlets say this was because of a past sex crime. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • Police arrested him as a flagrant offender after a scuffle of about one hour. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • Police applied for an arrest warrant, but the prosecution office rejected it. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Confirmed by several sources

  • Seoul Gwanak Police Station said on 20 October that it had booked A, a man in his 40s, on suspicion of obstructing official duties. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • A is accused of cursing at and pushing an officer at a police post in Gwanak district at about 22:00 on 15 October, after a dispute with an acquaintance on 14 October led to a police report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • A waited outside the police post from about 17:00 on 15 October, went in at about 19:30 and wrote in blood on the wall with his bitten finger. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • A was sent home after being reprimanded by police, returned at about 22:00, shouted and pushed an officer, and was arrested after about an hour of scuffling. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • A wore an ankle monitor because of a past sex crime. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  • Police requested an arrest warrant for A, and the prosecution office rejected it. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Still unclear

  • The exact circumstances of the incident Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo say police plan further investigation into how it happened.
  • Whether the officer treated A unfairly on 14 October Maeil Business reports that A claimed the officer responded unfairly. The documents carry no response from police.
  • Why the prosecution office rejected the arrest warrant No document gives a reason.

What local media are saying

Business mediaAll five outlets, Dong-A Ilbo, Newsis, Yonhap, Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo, relayed the Gwanak police account. They reported the sequence of events on 14 and 15 October in detail and, in four of them, the ankle monitor and past sex crime. Newsis, Yonhap, Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo noted that the arrest warrant was rejected. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Timeline, local time

  1. On 15 October A begins waiting outside the police post in Gwanak district for the officer, by his own account to police. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  2. At the day and night shift change, A goes into the police post and writes in blood on the wall with his bitten finger. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
  3. A returns, shouts and pushes an officer; police arrest him as a flagrant offender after about an hour. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]