Suspect in his 20s arrested for killing girlfriend with knife in Cheongju

The Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station announced Sunday that it had arrested a suspect in their 20s on murder charges for fatally stabbing a girlfriend with a knife.

The suspect, identified only as A, is accused of attacking the victim — also in their 20s and identified only as B — with a knife at around 6 p.m. Sunday at an apartment in Yullyang-dong, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju. B was transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead.

Police responded after A called to report having killed a girlfriend, and officers arrested the suspect at the scene. Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.

Relationship-based crimes, including stalking and intimate partner violence, have been on the rise across the country. A report published Tuesday by the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice, titled "The State of Relationship-Based Crime and Priorities for a Comprehensive Government Response," recommended strengthening the isolation and monitoring of high-risk offenders and taking protective measures when warning signs emerge — even if the victim does not wish to press charges.