A man who escaped from custody while undergoing medical treatment at a South Korean hospital was recaptured by police roughly 14 hours after fleeing, authorities said on Saturday.
According to Suyeong Police Station, officers arrested the suspect at about 2:17 a.m. at a Buddhist hermitage located in a mountainous area of Gijang County in Busan.
The suspect had been taken into custody on Wednesday on allegations of purchasing sex from a minor and was being investigated by Suyeong Police Station.
The escape occurred at around 11:50 a.m. on Friday when the suspect reportedly opened a window in a second-floor restroom at a hospital in Suyeong District, where he had been receiving treatment for a chronic illness.
Authorities said he took advantage of a momentary lapse in supervision by three detectives assigned to monitor him.
Investigators later discovered the suspect’s handcuffs intact on the ground outside the hospital building.
Police traced the suspect’s movements using closed-circuit television footage and other investigative methods before locating and arresting him.
Officials said the search was complicated because the fugitive was carrying only a small amount of cash and did not have a mobile phone or credit cards.
Authorities have launched an investigation into how the escape occurred.
