Police arrest suspect in series of arson attacks on Yeoksam-dong buildings; caught near Dongmyo Station

[Financial News] A man in his 70s suspected of setting fires at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, leaving 19 people injured, has been arrested by police.
According to Suseo Police Station in Seoul on the 20th, police arrested suspect A, who is suspected of arson, near Dongmyo Station in Seoul at around 4:16 p.m. that day.
A is suspected of setting fires at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, one after another around noon that day. A reportedly fled using the subway and other means after the alleged crimes.
According to fire authorities, a fire broke out on the third floor of Shinmyeong Building in Yeoksam-dong at around 11:54 a.m. that day. About seven minutes later, at 12:01 p.m., a fire also broke out on the fourth floor of Hanyang Building, about 200 meters away in a straight line. Both buildings were confirmed to house offices of patent law firms.
A total of 19 people were injured in the fires. Two were seriously injured and 17 sustained minor injuries.
Fire authorities responded to a report that “someone had set a fire” and issued a Level 1 response at around 12:04 p.m. A total of 225 firefighting personnel and 56 pieces of equipment were deployed to battle the fires.
The fire at Hanyang Building was completely extinguished at around 12:35 p.m. The main blaze at Shinmyeong Building was brought under control at around 1:12 p.m., and crews continued to extinguish the remaining flames.
A person who was inside the building when the fire broke out was also seen climbing out of a third-floor window and escaping using a ladder set up by firefighters.
Police are investigating A to determine the exact motive and circumstances of the alleged crimes. A police official said, “As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot confirm details.”
[email protected] Lee Dong-hyeok Reporter