South Korean National Police Agency Chief Cho Hyun-oh resigned Monday amid a growing fury over the slow response of police in suburban Seoul to a woman's distress call. There is now a debate about whether the apparent ineptitude contributed to the woman's death at the hands of a murderer.

"I offer a sincere apology and feel deeply regrettable that police's carelessness brought about this horrendous result and that we played down and lied about the case," Mr. Cho said.

On...