Suspect in Daegu murder case remains missing

Daegu authorities on Thursday put a 43-year-old man on the country’s wanted list for allegedly stalking a married woman for two months and then stabbing her to death for rejecting his attempts to woo her.

The victim’s death early Monday morning shocked residents there, Korea’s fourth largest city, in large part because it happened while the 48-year-old victim was under police protection.

Police are currently searching for Kim Jin-oh, who has remained at large since the murder, and have released two photos identifying him.

The Daegu police said that an officer had previously been assigned to watch over and check in on the woman, mainly via telephone calls.

Authorities reportedly filed for a detention warrant for the suspect on July 9, though their request was rejected the next day by prosecutors, who cited insufficient evidence.

Police said they have been looking into the case since early June, attempting to find cause to arrest the suspect.

Kim’s mobile device was confiscated during the investigation, they added, making it impossible for them to trace his whereabouts.

The suspect’s body was found in an alley in a residential area by a passerby, who called police and claimed to have seen the woman arguing with a middle-aged man before she was discovered dead.

Police have secured CCTV footage that shows Kim passing through the area about 20 minutes before the alleged murder.

The victim, who had previously complained to authorities that Kim had relentlessly pursued her despite the fact she was married, was stabbed about 10 times around her neck, stomach and waist.

A knife found at the scene has been transferred to forensic experts for further investigation, Daegu police said.

BY KIM YOUN-HO AND LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]