Prepared 17 Liters of Gasoline and Put His Affairs in Order ... Yeoksam-dong Arson Suspect Referred on Attempted Murder Charge (Roundup)

[Financial News] A man in his 70s who set fire to two patent law firm offices in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, injuring 26 people, has been referred to the Prosecution Office on suspicion of attempted murder. Police concluded that the suspect had meticulously planned the crime, preparing tools for arson about a month beforehand and canceling his mobile phone service. In particular, they found intent to kill, citing that he set fire to what was effectively the only escape route despite knowing employees were inside.
Suseo Police Station in Seoul said on the 29th that it had referred the 77-year-old man, identified by the surname Lee, to the Prosecution Office in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and arson resulting in injury at an occupied building.
Lee is suspected of pouring gasoline and setting fire to the entrance of a fourth-floor office in the building of Patent Law Firm A in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11:53 a.m. on the 20th. The fire injured 15 people associated with the firm, including people with burns to their airways. About six minutes later, he allegedly set fire using the same method to the entrance of a third-floor office in a nearby building belonging to Patent Law Firm B, injuring 11 more people.
Police found that Lee had been preparing tools for arson starting about a month before the crime. Between the 24th of last month and the 5th of this month, he bought a container holding 15 liters of vinegar and 9 kilograms of sand lance fish sauce, as well as two lighters, from a shop near his home. The day before the arson, he bought 17 liters of gasoline at a gas station and divided it between two containers he had prepared.
Police also found evidence that he had put his affairs and residence in order before the crime. On the 15th, Lee canceled his mobile phone service and told the landlord of his home that he intended to end the lease, which had nine months left to run. Investigators found that he disposed of belongings in the house several times the day before the arson.
Investigators also obtained a statement that, after getting his security deposit back and leaving the house on the day of the arson, he muttered to the landlord, “If someone has committed fraud, you can’t just sit back, can you?” Based on these actions, police concluded that Lee had planned the crime in advance.
Lee claimed that he committed the arson out of anger, believing that the patent law firms had engaged in fraud, including by issuing fake patent certificates. He reportedly told police in effect that he “wanted to scare them and let the world know,” but police said that, so far, they had found no other motive for the crime beyond Lee’s claim.
Police explained that, although Lee claimed he had no intention of injuring anyone, the circumstances of the crime as a whole showed intent to kill.
Before setting fire to Patent Law Firm A, Lee asked whether a particular person was at work and committed the arson immediately after seeing someone enter the office, investigators found. Police believe that at Patent Law Firm B, too, he encountered several people leaving the office and knew employees were inside.
A key basis for applying the attempted murder charge was that he poured a substantial amount of gasoline on what was effectively the only exit from each office and set it alight without hesitation. The two open-plan offices, each measuring around 80–90 pyeong, were found to have been engulfed in flames almost instantly after the arson.
Even as the flames spread rapidly, Lee fled without sounding the alarm or alerting employees to the fire. Police added the attempted murder charge, believing that Lee had committed the crime fully aware that it could result in the deaths of an unspecified number of people.
On the day of the incident, police deployed six criminal investigation teams from Suseo Police Station to search for Lee. By analyzing CCTV footage and coordinating with other police stations, they placed him under emergency arrest around 4:16 p.m. that day near Dongmyo Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Lee was taken into custody on the 22nd on suspicion of arson resulting in injury at an occupied building. Police later added the attempted murder charge after analyzing a search of his home, how he acquired the tools used in the crime, victims’ statements and medical records. On the 28th, they decided to disclose Lee’s personal information and plan to release it on the 3rd of next month.
Police said, “Even after the case is referred, we will continue to work closely with the Prosecution Office to respond firmly to violent crimes that threaten the lives of the public and to protect and support victims.”
[email protected] Lee Dong-hyuk Reporter