Woman climbs bridge railing in Korea to commit suicide, gets robbed by passing cyclist

Woman climbs bridge railing in Korea to commit suicide, gets robbed

A woman who wanted to jump off a bridge in Seoul ended up getting her belongings nicked by a passer-by on a bicycle.

The victim had climbed onto the railing of Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, on 18 Aug with the intention to commit suicide.

A man on a bicycle who was riding by stopped at the side of the road where she had left her bag. He then proceeded to pick it up before getting back onto his bike and riding away.

The video of the incident was posted on the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s YouTube channel on 30 Aug.

Police pursue robber on cars & bicycles

According to the footage, the police was first notified on the evening of 18 Aug about a person sitting on the bridge’s railing. Officers rushed to the scene to assist in the rescue.

After successfully preventing the woman from jumping, officers caught wind of the incident with the thief over their radio. They quickly turned their vehicle around to pursue the robber, News1 reported.

However, the thief pedalled faster upon seeing the police car, ignoring their orders to stop.

The police continued chasing him with patrol cars and bicycles, but the thief escaped down a narrow road, making it hard to catch him.

Civilian helps police catch thief

Just then, a civilian identified only as Mr Lee, chased down the thief on his motorcycle.

“”I realised it was an urgent situation when I saw two patrol cars chasing after a cyclist,” said the motorcyclist, according to Korea JooAng Daily.

With his help, the culprit, a man in his 40s, was arrested and taken into custody.

“I thought there was money in the bag, so I stole it,” he reportedly confessed.

Ten days later, Mapo Police Station awarded Mr Lee a certificate of commendation and a cash reward for his help in apprehending the criminal.

Also read: ‘Please help me look out for thief’: Blind busker in Yishun puts up sign after getting money stolen

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Featured image adapted from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on YouTube