SEOUL – While a woman was attempting to take her life by jumping into the Han River in Seoul, a man allegedly stole her bag and fled on a bicycle. The police were soon on his tail but it took another man on a motorcycle to stop the suspect when the latter sped down a narrow alleyway.

       The Seoul police said recently that Mapo Police Station awarded a man surnamed Lee a certificate of appreciation for his help in stopping the suspect on Aug 18.

       “I feel a great sense of pride that I was able to contribute a little to maintaining public safety and order,” Mr Lee said in a video posted on Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s YouTube channel on Aug 30.

       Police officers had gone to the scene where the woman was attempting to take her own life by jumping into the Han River from a bridge. After being notified that she had been rescued, the police started tracking a suspect who had taken her bag.

       But the patrol cars chasing the suspect could not advance further when they encountered the alleyway. While the officers looked for an alternate route, Mr Lee took matters in his own hands.

       “I thought (the police) could not chase the suspect down a narrow alley. I assumed that a man running away from the police was likely to be a suspect and stepped up,” he said.

       He managed to follow the suspect and get him to stop, at which point the officers caught up with them. The suspect was taken into custody.

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       The man in his 40s is being investigated by the authorities. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK