Arrest Warrant Sought for Man in His 70s in 'Yeoksam Serial Arson'... Police Weigh Adding Attempted Murder

Police have sought an arrest warrant for a man in his 70s who allegedly set fires at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, leaving 19 people injured.

The Suseo Police Station in Seoul said on the 21st that it had sought an arrest warrant for Mr. A, who was arrested on suspicion of arson causing injury at an occupied building.

Yonhap News Agency

Mr. A is suspected of setting fires at the third floor of Shinmyeong Building at around 11:54 a.m. on October 20 and at the fourth floor of Hanyang Building at around 12:01 p.m., injuring 19 people. One of the victims, a patent attorney with a patent law firm, was found in cardiac arrest and transported to a hospital, where they are receiving treatment. Both locations where the fires broke out were confirmed to be offices of patent law firms.

Police have obtained evidence suggesting that Mr. A sought out a specific employee shortly before the alleged crime and are actively considering adding attempted murder to the charges.

According to police interviews with victims, before setting the fires, Mr. A asked an employee he encountered at a patent law firm office where an assistant manager-level employee, identified as Mr. B, who handled trademark and design work, was based. When the employee replied, "I don't know who Mr. B is. I'll find out for you," Mr. A snapped, "Never mind," and immediately spread an accelerant on the floor at the office entrance, investigators found.

Police also found evidence suggesting that he had hinted at seeking revenge beforehand. They obtained a statement from the owner of the home where Mr. A lived, to the effect that "(on the day of the arson) as he was leaving the house, Mr. A said, 'I won't let the guy who swindled me get away with it.'"

In addition, a joint on-site inspection by police and fire authorities secured CCTV footage showing Mr. A spreading flammable liquid on the floor in front of the entrance to a patent law firm office on the fourth floor of Hanyang Building, the site of the second fire, and then setting it alight. Police believe he similarly spread flammable material on the floor at the entrance before starting the fire on the third floor of Shinmyeong Building, the site of the first fire.

Police plan to add attempted murder to the charges once they have gathered further evidence supporting the conclusion that Mr. A intended to kill a specific person, taking all these circumstances into account. Meanwhile, police have requested a detailed forensic examination of a fuel container (jerrycan) collected at the scene to determine its contents.

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