British man arrested in UK 9 days after stabbing acquaintance at Seoul university

A British man in his 30s who stabbed an acquaintance with a bladed weapon at a Seoul university before fleeing to his home country has been arrested by local authorities.

The Korean National Police Agency said Saturday it had arrested the British suspect, identified only as A, on charges of attempted murder in the United Kingdom on Thursday (local time), in cooperation with the UK's National Extradition Unit (NEU).

A stabbed a woman in her 20s, identified as B, in the neck with a bladed weapon at a Seoul university at around 11:50 a.m. on Sept. 29 before leaving the country. B sustained minor injuries to her neck.

The agency issued an Interpol red notice immediately after A fled. Through subsequent cooperation with Interpol, police confirmed that A had entered the United Kingdom.

An Interpol red notice is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and arrest a wanted person. It typically targets individuals suspected of serious violent crimes such as murder, robbery and rape, as well as organized crime figures and economic offenders involved in large-scale voice phishing and fraud schemes.

A Korean police attaché stationed in the United Kingdom then worked closely with the NEU to pinpoint A's location, leading to his arrest nine days after he fled abroad.

"We plan to swiftly pursue A's extradition to South Korea through the formal extradition process, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and other relevant agencies," a Korean National Police Agency official said.