Jeju Woman Killed Despite Police Protection After Stalking and Dating Violence Reports, With No Restraining Order

A Jeju woman was fatally stabbed outside a hotel in South Korea on 12 October despite being under police protection. She had reported the suspect for stalking and dating violence, but no restraining order had been issued against him.

The woman, in her 40s, had repeatedly reported the same man before officers issued her an emergency smartwatch last month. Police also registered her for safety protection amid concerns over retaliatory violence, but she was reportedly unable to activate the device during the attack.

Jeju Woman's Suspected Attacker Detained Hours Later

The stabbing occurred at about 1:38am on a street in front of a hotel in Yeon-dong, Jeju City. The victim, identified in the reports as B, was discovered after a passerby called police.

Officers from Jeju Seobu Police Station detained a man in his 60s, identified as A, at about 5:08am that morning. He had fled after the attack and was caught on a street in Geonip-dong, elsewhere in the city, according to reports of the police investigation.

A was placed under emergency arrest on suspicion of murder. During questioning, he reportedly claimed that he and B had previously been in a romantic relationship before breaking up.

The reported relationship was part of his account to investigators. Police were examining his motive and whether the killing had been premeditated, with further questioning planned before an application for a formal arrest warrant.

No Restraining Order Followed Jeju Woman's Reports

B had reported A for stalking in October 2025, followed by multiple reports of dating violence in May, according to Yonhap. A further account of the investigation placed the first dating violence complaint in mid-May, with additional reports of violence and stalking afterwards.

Despite that history of contact with police, formal criminal cases had not been opened. Reports of the investigation stated that B had previously expressed a wish not to proceed with formal case filings or have the man punished.

Officers had encouraged her to accept a smartwatch when she reported dating violence in May.

Police attributed the absence of a restraining order to the lack of formal case processing. The protection subsequently provided to B included an emergency alert device and registration in the police reporting system, but no order had been issued against A.

Police-Issued Emergency Watch Left Unused in Sudden Fatal Attack

On 16 September, police issued B with the smartwatch because of concerns that she could face retaliatory violence. They also registered her in the 112 emergency call system as a person under safety protection.

The device alerts the 112 emergency centre and transmits the wearer's location in real time when its emergency button is pressed. B was wearing it during the fatal attack but reportedly had no opportunity to press the button because the assault was sudden.

The watch was issued four months after the first dating violence report described in the investigation. That interval concerned the May complaint, while her earlier stalking report dated back to the previous October.

Investigators are reviewing security camera and vehicle dashcam footage from the time of the attack. Police plan to seek a warrant for A's formal arrest after further investigation into the circumstances of the killing.