Arrest warrant out for brass knuckles assault suspect

A court issued an arrest warrant for a 30-year-old man accused of assaulting and raping a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, southern Seoul, on Saturday. The victim, who remained unconscious right after the attack, died the same day.

A 30-year-old man, only identified by his surname Choi, leaves the Gwanak Police Precinct on Saturday to attend a court hearing. The man is accused of assaulting and raping a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Thursday morning, who fell unconscious and died on Saturday. [NEWS1]

A court issued an arrest warrant for a 30-year-old man accused of assaulting and raping a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, southern Seoul, on Saturday. The victim, who remained unconscious right after the attack, died the same day.

The Seoul Central District Court granted the warrant for the assailant, identified only by his surname Choi, citing the gravity of the case and concerns that he could flee.

The 30-something-year-old victim, who had received treatment at a hospital since the attack, died at around 3:40 p.m. the same day, around 20 minutes after Choi’s arrest warrant hearing ended.

Following the victim's death, police are reportedly considering investigating him on suspicion of raping and killing her instead of the current charge of raping and injuring the victim.

This increases the assailant’s sentence to as high as the death penalty and life imprisonment from at least 10 years in prison and a life sentence if he is convicted.

Photo shows a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak District in southern Seoul where a 30-year-old man is suspected of assaulting and raping a random woman on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Choi is accused of physically assaulting and raping a woman who was a stranger to him on a hiking trail connected to a park in Sillim-dong, Gwanak District in southern Seoul on Thursday morning.

Police received a report at around 11:44 a.m. Thursday that a woman screamed in the middle of a mountain, asking for help.

Choi was taken into custody at the scene at 12:10 p.m. the same day.

The victim was immediately sent to a hospital but remained unconscious until she died on Saturday.

Local media reported she was an elementary school teacher who was heading to her school to attend a training session for teaching staff.

The assailant told the police he wore two brass knuckles on each of his hands to beat the victim and rape her, but asserted he did not intend to kill her. He also claimed he ultimately failed to rape the victim.

Police will examine the cause of her death by requesting an autopsy of the victim’s body to the National Forensic Service on Monday.

Choi tested negative on both drug and alcohol tests. The National Forensic Service will conduct a detailed examination of his drug use and if a sexual assault actually occurred, upon the police’s request.

As the rape suspect left the Gwanak Police Precinct to attend an arrest warrant hearing on Saturday, he expressed his remorse saying he is “sorry” and hoped the victim “will recover soon.”

When asked by a reporter whether his claims that he had attempted to rape the victim, but failed, were true, Choi said “yes.”

He also told the reporters that he was not influenced by the recent knifing rampages that took place near Sillim Station in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, and Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

Thirty-year-old Jo Seon attacked four people with a knife near Sillim Station last month, ultimately leading to one of the victims' deaths.

The knifing rampage by 22-year-old Choi Won-jong occurred earlier in the month near Seohyeon Station, killing a woman in her 60s.

Police will make a decision on disclosing the suspect's identity, and on whether or not to conduct a psychopathy test.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]