S. Korean police detain two Liberian officials over alleged rape of two teenagers

S. Korean police detain two Liberian officials over alleged rape of two teenagers

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean police said on Friday they had detained two Liberian government officials over the alleged rape of two teenagers in South Korea.

The men, in their 30s and 50s, respectively, were arrested on the spot at a hotel in the southeastern city of Busan on Thursday after a friend of the alleged victims reported the case to the police, Busan police said.

A Seoul Foreign Ministry official said the ministry was reviewing whether the two Liberians were entitled to diplomatic immunity.

Police said they planned to seek formal arrest warrants for the two men, which would allow them to hold the suspects in custody for up to 10 days.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the Liberian officials or their lawyers to seek comment.

The Liberian embassy in Tokyo, which oversees Korean affairs, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Jon Boyle)