Home > National > Social Affairs

Police arrest man for over alleged attempt to kill sleeping wife

Published: 21 Oct. 2025, 16:19 Updated: 21 Oct. 2025, 16:47

[JOONGANG ILBO]

A Seoul man faces possible criminal charges for allegedly attempting to kill his sleeping wife by striking her with a blunt weapon.

Seoul Jungnang Police Precinct said on Tuesday that it had opened an attempted murder case against the man.

Sharp rise in domestic violence reports over Chuseok, police up staffing and patrols to cover
Two women arrested for allegedly drugging and robbing men they met at nightclubs
Police pursuing civil damages against man who made Shinsegae bomb threat

Police say the man attacked his wife at about 1:54 a.m. on Tuesday at their home in Jungnang District, repeatedly striking her head with a blunt object while she slept.

The woman, who suffered a laceration to her head, reported the incident to police and received stitches at a hospital before being discharged.

The man, who reportedly had an underlying illness, collapsed immediately after the alleged attack and was taken to a hospital in an unresponsive state. He has not regained consciousness.

Police records show the woman called emergency number 112 last month saying her husband had threatened her with a knife. The investigation at that time was halted after the woman recanted her statement during questioning.

Officers had classified the household as a "B" level domestic violence risk, meaning there was concern about a recurrence, but no separation or restraining measures were taken at the woman’s request.

Police said they will question the suspect about the motive and the exact circumstances of the incident once he regains consciousness.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]