"Poured Gasoline and Fled": Yeoksam Arson Suspect Transferred in Custody, Charged with Attempted Murder (Comprehensive)

26 injured in consecutive arson attacks at two patent law firms
Charged with arson of occupied buildings resulting in injury and attempted murder
Asked if he felt sorry for the victims, he said, "Shut up"

A man in his 70s surnamed Lee, who allegedly set fire to two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, has been transferred to prosecutors in custody. Investigators found that before the attacks, Lee bought gasoline and lighters and received the return of his rental deposit. Based on these findings, police concluded that the crimes were premeditated and added a charge of attempted murder.

Suspect A, who injured 19 people by setting fire to two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, answers reporters' questions on the 29th while being transferred under arrest from Suseo Police Station to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Yonhap News.

Suseo Police Station in Seoul said on October 29 that it had transferred Lee, 77, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in custody on charges of arson of occupied buildings resulting in injury and attempted murder. Police initially charged Suspect A only with arson of occupied buildings resulting in injury, but added another charge after further investigation.

According to police, A is suspected of setting fire to the fourth floor of Hanyang Building at around 11:53 a.m. on October 20, then setting fire to the third floor of Shinmyeong Building at around 11:59 a.m., injuring a total of 26 people. A was arrested at around 4 p.m. that day on the street in front of Exit 10 of Dongmyo Station in Jongno-gu, about four hours after the attacks, and was placed under arrest two days later.

Investigators found that A first poured gasoline on the floor in front of the fourth-floor entrance of Hanyang Building and used a lighter to start a fire, allegedly attempting to kill an unspecified number of people but failing. A then tried to set a fire in the same way on the floor in front of the third-floor entrance of Shinmyeong Building, injuring victims, including with burns to their airways. Both buildings are occupied by patent law firms.

Prepared tools for the attacks... Received return of home deposit

Police concluded that A had planned the attacks in advance. Investigators found that from September 24 to October 5, A bought one bottle of vinegar, one bottle of sand lance fish sauce and two lighters at shops near his home. On October 19, A also bought 17 liters of gasoline at a gas station near his home, preparing tools for the attacks.

Police also confirmed that on October 15, A canceled his cellphone service and notified his landlord of his intention to end the lease, despite having nine months remaining on the contract. The day before the attacks, A disposed of belongings at home in several trips. On the day of the attacks, after receiving the return of his deposit and leaving the home, he reportedly muttered to himself, "If someone has been defrauded, they shouldn't just sit back and do nothing."

Scene of a fire in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Reporter Kim Hyunmin.

Since his arrest, A has claimed that his motive was that he was angry because the law firms had committed fraud, including by issuing fake patent certificates, and that he wanted to scare them and bring the matter to public attention. No other motive or purpose for the attacks has been identified so far. He told investigators that he had no intention of injuring anyone.

Poured gasoline at the exits... Fled as the fire spread

Police added the attempted murder charge because they concluded that A had deliberately sought to harm an unspecified number of people inside the patent law firms' offices.

Police focused on the fact that before setting fire to Hanyang Building, A asked the patent law firm there whether a particular person was at work, then carried out the attack immediately after confirming that someone had entered the building. They also concluded that A must have known people were inside the patent law firm in Shinmyeong Building, since he encountered people leaving its office before the attack.

Police also determined that A intended to cause deaths, citing the fact that he poured a substantial amount of gasoline in front of the exits of both patent law firms and set the fires without hesitation. They also took into account that immediately after starting the fires, A fled without activating a fire alarm or alerting people nearby, even as the flames spread rapidly. Investigators found that the two firms' office spaces were each open-plan areas measuring 80 to 90 pyeong, and that the flames spread inside almost instantly after the fires were started.

Police and fire officials conduct an on-site inspection at Shinmyeong Building on the 21st, after arson attacks occurred at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Yonhap News

"What kind of country is this?"... Gave irrelevant answers to questions

As he left the police station that day, before boarding the transport vehicle, A shouted to reporters, "I called five media outlets to tell them the patent law firm was committing fraud, but they pretended not to know," adding, "I also told the police about the patent fraud, but they didn't investigate it. What kind of country is this?"

Asked why he had not stated his opinion on the disclosure of his identity, A gave an irrelevant response: "They should be broadcasting the fraud. Why aren't they doing that?" When asked if he felt sorry for the people who had been injured, he also said, in English, "Shut up."

A police official said, "Even after the case is transferred, we will work closely with the prosecution service to respond firmly to violent crimes that threaten people's lives, while continuing to make efforts to protect and support the victims."

Meanwhile, on October 28, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Identity Disclosure Review Committee decided to disclose A's personal information. Police plan to publish the suspect's personal information on the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's website for 30 days, starting at 9 a.m. on November 3.

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