A South Korean man who was served a fresh arrest warrant Wednesday for the attempted murder of a Japanese man at NHK headquarters in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward earlier this month said the stabbing was "a message to Japanese media for their irresponsible reporting," police said.
Lee Jae-hyeon, 46, is suspected of stabbing the 48-year-old man while walking near the NHK offices at around 9:30 p.m. on May 18, slicing a 15-cm-long and 5-cm-deep gash into the man's neck, according to authorities.
Police said Lee turned up at the Shibuya Police Station the following day and indicated his involvement in the stabbing.
Lee told investigators that he had attacked the man because he appeared to be a high-ranking official with the broadcaster.
The two were not acquainted, police said, and the suspect has remained silent since the fresh arrest warrant was handed out.
The victim, a resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, is an employee of a video production company and frequently worked for the public broadcaster.
Lee was arrested on suspicion of violating the immigration law when he appeared at the police station on May 19, authorities said.
The police verified Lee's confession through analyzing images captured by security cameras installed around the area where the incident took place.