Police investigate two murders of female coffee shop owners

A wanted poster provided by Ilsan Seobu Police Station offers a 5-million-won reward for information leading to the capture of a suspect wanted in connection to a murder at an Ilsan coffee shop. The suspect is described as a 57-year-old male, about 170-centimeters tall, with a shaved head. (Ilsan Seobu Police Station)

South Korean police said Friday they are investigating two potential murder cases in northern Gyeonggi Province, both of which targeted elderly female owners of local coffee shops and occurred within the past week.

Officials are considering the possibility that the same person may be behind the two killings.

Earlier Friday, a woman in her 60s who ran a cafe in Yangju, some 29 kilometers north of Seoul, was found dead in what appeared to be murder. A cafe employee left the venue late the previous night, leaving the owner alone with a male customer.

On Dec. 30, a 60-something-year-old owner of another coffee shop in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, was found strangled to death. The victim had also been working alone late at night.

Ilsan Seobu Police Station, which had been investigating the Ilsan case, has issued a nationwide manhunt for a 57-year-old man who is suspected to be linked to the murders. The police station is offering a reward of 5 million won ($3,800) for information leading to the capture of the suspect.