Police arrest ex-pilot in airline captain murder

An airline captain in his 50s was found fatally stabbed at his apartment building in Busan, police said Monday, as investigators moved to track down a former colleague identified as the prime suspect.

According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, a neighbor discovered the victim lying in a hallway of an apartment in Jeonpo-dong, Busanjin District, at around 7 a.m. The man, believed to be in his mid-50s, was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Police believe the attack took place between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. The victim appears to have been assaulted shortly after stepping out of the apartment he shared with family as he was preparing to leave. The weapon used in the attack has not been found.

The suspect, a former first officer who worked for the same airline, is believed to have left the company around April 2024. Investigators suspect he may have harbored resentment toward former colleagues and targeted them. He is also believed to have attempted a similar attack on another captain in Ilsanseo District, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the previous day, though that attempt was unsuccessful. Some pilots who had worked with him have reportedly sought police protection.

Police have formed a task force of about 60 officers and are tracing the suspect’s movements using closed-circuit television footage. “Whether a dispute among pilots led to the crime and what specific motives were involved will only become clear once the suspect is in custody,” a police official said.

Police said they traced the suspect’s movements using CCTV analysis and other investigative methods, then apprehended the former first officer on murder charges at about 8:03 p.m. on Monday. He was found hiding at a motel in Nam District, Ulsan, following a manhunt involving a task force of about 60 officers.

A police official said investigators will work to determine the precise motive, including whether a dispute among pilots led to the attack. Police also plan to examine the suspect’s mental health history as part of the ongoing investigation.


부산=김화영 run@donga.com