Police said Wednesday they have requested cooperation from their Chinese counterparts to investigate a Chinese man suspected of killing a South Korean woman who was praying at a Catholic church on the country's resort island of Jeju last week.

The 50-year-old man, identified only by his last name Chen, is accused of stabbing the 61-year-old victim while she was inside the church alone on Saturday morning, according to the Jeju Seobu Police Station. The suspect was nabbed a few hours later some 40 kilometers from the scene of the incident.

Police said they have requested the investigative authorities of China's Hebei Province, where he is from, to provide information on the suspect's profession, family relations and criminal records.

They are planning to verify if Chen has a history of mental illness, as well as his statement that he committed the crime because the victim reminded him of his former wives who ran away after having extramarital affairs. 
Chen entered the country as a tourist under the visa-free program last week and was scheduled to leave this week, police said.

A local court on Monday issued a warrant to formally arrest the Chinese man, citing the possibility he would flee.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital after the attacker fled the scene, but she was later pronounced dead Sunday. (Yonhap)