A Malaysian factory worker who had spent nearly seven years building a life in South Korea was killed after going to help a friend caught up in a late-night confrontation, his family said – prompting an online fundraiser that collected about 80,000 ringgit (US$19,600) within a day to bring his body home.
Ahmad Shah Ahmad Ros, 26, died in the early hours of Sunday in Daeso-eup, Eumseong county, about 130km (80 miles) southeast of Seoul.
Local police have arrested a Malaysian man in his forties on suspicion of murder and other offences, according to South Korean newspapers Korea JoongAng Daily and Seoul Shinmun. Around 10 people from two groups were involved in the confrontation, police said, during which another person was injured and taken to hospital.
The suspect, who police said fled to a nearby home and was arrested about an hour later, was being questioned alongside the others believed to have been involved, the South Korean reports said.
Malaysia’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that a citizen had died and said South Korean authorities were investigating. It withheld the victim’s personal details and the circumstances of his death, citing both the ongoing inquiry and his family’s privacy.
Other Malaysians were involved in the investigation, it added, without disclosing their identities or status.