Arson in Seoul apartment leaves one dead, 13 hurt

A man in his 60s set fire to a 21-story apartment building in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on Monday, resulting in his death and injuries to 13 others, including apartment residents. Police are investigating the exact motive, considering the possibility that the crime was committed out of resentment over noise between floors.

According to police, at about 8 a.m. on Monday, the arsonist attached a pesticide sprayer to an oil can and used it like a flamethrower to start the fire. He died, and 13 people were injured, including two who were seriously hurt. The two seriously injured victims, women in their 70s and 80s, suffered full-body burns and fell from the fourth floor. It was later confirmed that about 15 minutes before the incident, the arsonist had also set a fire using the pesticide sprayer in a pile of trash outside a nearby low-rise apartment building, about 1.5 kilometers from the scene.


전남혁 기자 forward@donga.com