50-Year-Old Man Arrested for Random Hammer Attack on the Street

Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station.

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] A man who attacked a passerby on the street with a hammer for no reason was arrested by the police.

On the 11th, the Dongdaemun Police Station in Seoul announced that they had apprehended a man in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of aggravated assault.

Mr. A is accused of striking the head of a man in his 40s, Mr. B, with a weapon on the street in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, at around 6:15 p.m. the previous day. Mr. B was reportedly ordering and waiting for coffee with a friend when the attack occurred. Mr. B's friend immediately reported the incident to the police.

After committing the crime, Mr. A fled, but the police, who responded to the report, arrested him in less than 10 minutes. It is reported that Mr. A claimed he wielded the weapon because Mr. B had an affair with his wife, but the police explained that there was no connection between Mr. B and Mr. A's wife. Mr. A is said to be suffering from a mental illness. A police official stated, "We will apply for an arrest warrant after investigating the detailed circumstances of the incident."