'Stick Murder' Children's Sports Center CEO Arrested... Court Cites "Flight Risk"

Seodaemun Police Station, Seoul [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] A, the representative of a children's sports center who is accused of stabbing an employee to death with a stick while intoxicated, has been arrested.

According to the police on the 3rd, the court issued an arrest warrant on the 2nd for A, a man in his 40s accused of murder, citing concerns that he might flee. Earlier, the Seodaemun Police Station had urgently detained A on the 31st of last month on suspicion of assaulting an employee resulting in death.

At around 2 a.m. on the 31st of last month, A reported at the sports center that "a man is hitting my sister." However, after the police arrived, A changed his statement, saying, "I never made such a report," and "a man broke in and fought but then ran away."

The police found the victim, employee B in his 20s, lying on the scene and checked his pulse by placing a hand on his chest, but judged that there was no life-threatening condition. It was also reported that no bloodstains or other criminal evidence were found. A explained, "He was drunk and sleeping." Regarding the CCTV, he said, "I don't want to show it. I will go to the police station myself to file a complaint."

After hearing these statements, the police withdrew from the scene. Later, about seven hours later at 9:05 a.m., A reported, "I woke up and the employee was unconscious," and the police urgently detained him.

The police applied the charge of murder to A and requested an arrest warrant. Initially, the police applied the charge of involuntary manslaughter by assault, but after the National Forensic Service issued a preliminary opinion stating that "B's anal area was stabbed by a stick causing organ damage leading to death," they concluded there was intent and changed the charge.

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