SEOUL (Reuters) – The CEO of South Korean cryptocurrency deposit service Haru Invest was stabbed in the neck by a man during his court fraud trial, police said on Thursday.
The CEO, only identified by his surname Lee, was stabbed by a man in his 50s who was attending Lee’s trial at the Seoul Southern District Court on Wednesday, according to an official at Seoul Yangcheon Police Station.
Lee was taken to hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Lee was indicted in February on fraud charges after Haru Invest suspended the withdrawal of about 1.4 trillion won ($1.05 billion) worth of cryptocurrency, which had been deposited by customers between March 2020 to June 2023, according to Yonhap news agency.
Police said they have arrested the assailant and are investigating his motives.
($1 = 1,336.9400 won)
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Michael Perry)
