30s Man Arrested for Kidnapping and Hostage Situation Involving Female Driver

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] A man in his 30s who kidnapped a female driver he did not know and held a hostage situation in the Seoul metropolitan area has been arrested.

According to the police on the 18th, the Seoul Eastern District Court issued an arrest warrant on the 15th for A (31), who was caught in the act of robbery, injury, hostage injury, and obstruction of official duties, at the request of the police. The court judged that "there is a risk of escape."

At around 9:50 a.m. on the 13th of this month, A kidnapped a woman B (30), whom he had never met before, in an underground parking lot in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. A took advantage of the moment when B was driving her car out and threatened her with a weapon to seize the vehicle. For about seven hours, A drove around Gangnam, Seoul, and Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, with B in the car, demanding ransom from her family. A contacted B’s husband, saying, "If you send the money, I will release her," and received 5 million won but did not release B and demanded an additional 15 million won.

Afterward, B’s husband reported the kidnapping to the police, and about 40 police cars and 130 officers from the Gangdong, Seocho, Songpa police stations in Seoul and Namyangju Police Station in Gyeonggi were mobilized to track A. When surrounded by the responding police, A threatened the victim B with a weapon and held a hostage situation. The police calmed A down and persuaded him to release B, and A was arrested around 5 p.m. the same day in Wabu-eup, Namyangju. B sustained only abrasions on the back of her hand and was otherwise unharmed.