Man detained for ‘testing’ electric shocker on woman at bus stop in South Korea

YANGSAN, South Korea (Korea Herald/ANN): A man in his 40s has been detained by the South Korean police for using an electric shocker on a woman in her 50s.

The Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang province said on Thursday that it had requested an arrest warrant for the suspect on a charge of special violence.

Under local laws, special violence is punishable with imprisonment of between one and 10 years, and can be applied in cases such as assault using a potentially lethal weapon, and assault carried out by a group.

The man also violated the Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords and Explosives, which regulates the civilian possession of weapons, including electric shockers.

The suspect used the shocker on the victim in front of a bus stop in Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan city, according to the police.

The suspect and the victim reportedly had no prior acquaintance.

According to the police investigation, the accused purchased the electric shocker from a gun store in Ulsan city, in the country’s south-east, in the middle of August. He told the police that he had bought the weapon for self-defence after seeing multiple media reports about stabbing crimes.

“The accused stated that he was curious about what happens when an electric shocker is used on a person and that is the reason he used the shocker,” said an official from the police station. – THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK