Stabbing Incident Involving Haru Invest CEO

The CEO of Haru Invest, a South Korean digital asset custody firm, was stabbed during a court hearing on Wednesday, as confirmed by a representative from the Seoul Southern District Court.

While the court representative declined to provide further details, local reports indicated that the Haru CEO, known only by his last name, Lee, was stabbed in the neck four times and quickly taken to the emergency room. He is reported to be in “critical condition,” according to news agency News1.

Seoul police have reportedly arrested a man in his 40s, who is believed to be a victim of Haru Invest, on charges of attempted murder.

Haru Invest was known for offering custody services for cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, ether, and USDT stablecoin. Initially, the company promised investors a return of up to 16% on their principal and interest. However, multiple local news reports stated that Haru Invest suspended withdrawals from its crypto custody service in June of the previous year and ultimately closed its office.

The CEO was allegedly on trial for fraud, with prosecutors claiming he and other Haru executives misled approximately 16,000 investors to generate illegal profits exceeding $1.04 billion. Lee and other executives were reportedly arrested in February this year but were later released on bail.

According to local news outlet Chosun Ilbo, the court representative suggested that the attacker may have used a ceramic knife to evade security measures, as ceramic weapons can bypass detection by standard metal detectors used at court security checkpoints.