A potential arson case in Bongcheon-dong, Seoul has led to one death and six injuries. The prime suspect is a man in his 60s, identified as Mr. A, who was found dead at the scene. The police identified him by matching fingerprints from the deceased body recovered from the burnt apartment.
Before his death, Mr. A left a note for his daughter, including 50,000 won for his mother’s hospital expenses, and apologized. The fire initially broke out at an apartment complex where Mr. A previously lived and had conflicts with neighbors over noise issues.
On the day of the fire, Mr. A was reported to the police for acting suspiciously near his mother’s villa, about 1.4 km from the apartment fire, using a sprayer equipped with gasoline to set a trash heap ablaze. Eyewitnesses saw him cursing and setting flames before riding away on a motorcycle with a fuel container.
His apartment was found filled with black smoke when firefighters were called to the scene. The blaze was controlled in around 1 hour and 40 minutes. Alongside Mr. A, two individuals suffered severe burns, and four others were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
The police intend to further investigate by questioning residents who had prior disputes with Mr. A to establish a clearer motive for the crime.