Arrest Warrant Sought for Man in His 20s Who Killed Mother-in-Law, Abducted Wife; Police Probe Retaliation, Premeditation

"An Impulsive Crime," He Claims... Police Probe Why He Carried a Weapon

Police have sought an arrest warrant for a man in his 20s who fled after killing his mother-in-law and abducting his wife.

The Seoul Songpa Police Station said on October 12 that it had sought an arrest warrant for the man, identified as A, on charges of murdering an ascendant and special confinement. The request came a day after police urgently arrested him in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, and transported him to the Songpa Police Station. Police plan to take him into custody and, through further investigation, determine whether to also charge him with retaliatory murder under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.

A man in his mid-20s, identified only as A, who killed his mother-in-law and kidnapped his wife during divorce proceedings, is being transferred to Songpa Police Station in Seoul on the 11th. Yonhap News Agency

In questioning after his arrest, A largely admitted to the murder and abduction. However, he reportedly claimed that he acted impulsively because his relationship with his wife had soured, and that he had not planned to target his mother-in-law for murder.

Police are questioning A about whether the crime was premeditated, citing, among other things, that he routinely carried a weapon. They are also investigating whether he had made detailed plans in advance and whether he acted with the intent to harm his wife or her family.

Police are expected to examine mobile phones and other electronic devices they seized to determine A's movements and whether he prepared for the crime after a domestic violence investigation began.

A had previously been booked by police in August on suspicion of repeatedly assaulting his wife. At the time, the Suwon Gwonseon Police Station also searched A's residence. However, police were unable to take him into custody after he, a social service worker, had been absent without authorization for several days and failed to comply with a police summons.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.