NAMYANGJU (South Korea), March 16 — South Korean police said today they have sought an arrest warrant for a man accused of stalking and killing his ex-girlfriend while wearing an electronic ankle monitor, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The 40-something man was apprehended by police Saturday shortly after he broke the windows of a car his former live-in partner was riding in, killed her and fled in his own car.

The suspect broke his electronic ankle monitor before fleeing from the crime scene in Namyangju, about 20 kilometres east of Seoul, to the nearby county of Yangpyeong.

The Namyangju Bukbu Police Station said they filed for an arrest warrant for the suspect after consulting the prosecution, and a court hearing on whether to issue the warrant will be held Tuesday.

The suspect is currently being treated, as he was found to have taken an undisclosed type of drug at the time of his apprehension.

The case has sparked criticism that the authorities failed to protect the 20-something victim even though she was wearing a smartwatch as a subject of police protection and the man was under various restraining orders for stalking her.

At a press briefing today, an official of the National Police Agency expressed regret that stronger measures had not been in place against the suspect.

He added that appropriate measures will be taken in the event the police response is found to have been lacking. — Bernama-Yonhap