Two Buildings Catch Fire Seven Minutes Apart in Yeoksam-dong; Police Arrest Arson Suspect (2nd Update)

Fires Break Out in Two Buildings 7 Minutes Apart, 200 Meters From Each Other

"Someone Set a Fire": Police Track Arson Suspect

Suspect Arrested Near Dongmyo Station 4 Hours After Fires Break Out

Fires broke out in two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, just seven minutes apart. Police arrested a suspect in the arson near Dongmyo Station on Subway Line 1 in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Suseo Police Station said in a media notice on the afternoon of October 20 that it had arrested the suspect, identified only as A, near Dongmyo Station at around 4:16 p.m. in connection with the fires reported in Yeoksam-dong between 11:55 a.m. and 12:01 p.m. The arrest came about four hours after the fires broke out.

According to police and fire authorities, reports came in at around 11:54 a.m. and 12:01 p.m. that fires had broken out at Shinmyeong Building and Hanyang Building, respectively, in Yeoksam-dong. The two buildings are only 200 to 300 meters apart.

A total of 19 people were injured in the fires at the two buildings. At Shinmyeong Building, where the first report was received, a fire broke out on the third floor. Two people were seriously injured and nine sustained minor injuries. One of the seriously injured people was found in cardiac arrest, while the other suffered severe burns. About 60 people inside the building evacuated on their own.

At Hanyang Building, where the second fire broke out, eight people were confirmed to have sustained minor injuries, including from smoke inhalation and burns, on the fourth floor.

Firefighters and police responding to the reports deployed 224 personnel and 56 vehicles to put out the fires. The fire at Shinmyeong Building was fully extinguished at around 2:20 p.m., and the fire at Hanyang Building at around 12:35 p.m.

Both offices where the fires broke out were identified as offices of patent law firms. After receiving a report that "someone set a fire," police launched an investigation focused on the possibility of arson, including tracing the suspect's movements. Police are investigating A to determine the motive and the exact circumstances of the incident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.