A man in his 40s has been detained for using an electric shocker on a woman in her 50s.

Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province said Thursday they have requested an arrest warrant for the suspect on the charge of special violence. Special violence under local laws is punishable by imprisonment of between one to 10 years, and can be applied in cases such as assault using a potentially lethal weapon, and assault carried out by a group.

The man also violated the act on the safety management of electric shockers, guns, swords and explosives which regulates civilian arms control.

The suspect used the shocker on the victim in front of a bus stop in Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan, according to the police.

The suspect and the victim reportedly had no prior acquaintance.

According to the police investigation, the accused purchased an electronic shocker from a gun store in Ulsan, southern Korea, in the middle of August. He told the police that he purchased the weapon for self-defense after he saw lots of media reports about stabbing crimes.

“The accused stated that he was curious about what happens when an electronic shocker is used on a person and that is the reason he used the shocker,” said an official from Yangsan Police Station.