Will Authorities Move to Disclose the Identity of Man in His 70s in ‘Yeoksam-dong Serial Arson’? Police Consider Referring Case to Review Committee

[Financial News] Police are considering whether to disclose the identity of a man in his 70s who allegedly set fires at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, injuring 19 people.
According to police on the 26th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is considering referring Lee, a man in his 70s suspected of the serial arson in Yeoksam-dong, to the Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee. However, a specific referral date has not yet been set.
A police official said, “It is true that we are considering referring the case to the Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee,” adding, “We plan to make an announcement later once the referral schedule and other details are decided.” 
Under the Act on the Disclosure of Personal Information of Suspects in Specified Serious Crimes (the Serious Crime Suspect Information Disclosure Act), personal information may be disclosed when certain requirements are met, including in cases where the method of the crime was cruel, the incident caused serious harm, and there is sufficient evidence to believe that the suspect committed the crime. If disclosure is approved, Lee’s face and real name, among other details, may be made public.
Police are also continuing to investigate Lee’s motive and history of mental illness. They plan to conduct an investigation by a profiler this week. A warrant for medical records to verify his history of mental illness has been executed, and police are awaiting a response.
Earlier, during the first joint on-site inspection with fire authorities on the 20th, the day of the crime, police reviewed CCTV footage showing Lee pouring flammable liquid onto the floor in front of the entrance to an office on the fourth floor of Hanyang Building, after which the fire spread.
Lee is suspected of setting fires in succession at an office on the fourth floor of Hanyang Building and the third floor of Shinmyeong Building in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, between 11:51 a.m. and around 12:01 p.m. on the 20th. He faces charges of arson causing injury at occupied buildings. Patent law firms have offices in both buildings.
A total of 19 people were injured in the fires, including five who were seriously injured and 14 who sustained minor injuries.
Lee had previously attempted to set fire to the patent law firms involved. In 2022, he was indicted while in custody on charges of threatening employees by dousing them with gasoline after becoming dissatisfied with issues including patent applications and the issuance of paper registration certificates. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.


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