Chinese Student Found Dead in South Korea, Murder Suspect Arrested

A 25-year-old Chinese woman who went missing while visiting South Korea to collect her graduation certificate has been found dead, and police have arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of murder, Jiupai News reported.

Gyeongsan Police Station arrested the man at about 7:29pm on Tuesday in Gyeongsan, according to Yonhap News Agency. Officers subsequently found the woman's body at the suspect's home in Hayang, Gyeongsan.

The woman had recently completed a graduate program at Daegu Catholic University and returned to South Korea on August 14 to collect her certificate before starting a job in China.

She had booked a flight from Incheon to Changchun for August 23.

Her family had remained in daily contact with her, but their final video call took place late on August 19. A friend said he last saw her the following evening, when she left his home with a suitcase and planned to stay at a hotel in Daegu.

Police said her last confirmed movements were near Dongdaegu Station on the night of August 20.

The suspect, who was an acquaintance of the woman, reported her missing to police on August 21, according to Yonhap.

After repeated calls and messages went unanswered, the family hired a local lawyer and sought help from the Chinese Consulate-General in Busan.

Police began to suspect the man while questioning him about the missing-person report after finding parts of his account suspicious, Yonhap reported.

Police plan to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and approximate time of death. They are also questioning the suspect about his possible motive and the circumstances surrounding the case.

Police also plan to search the suspect's home and other locations for additional evidence, while declining to provide more details as the investigation continues.