▲ Scene of the incident
Testimony has emerged that a resident in his 70s booked for arson at an apartment management office in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, had been in conflict with the management over apartment management regulations and resident representative elections.
The resident reportedly caused a disturbance, including smashing a ballot box, after failing to win a recent resident representative election.
A related meeting was also scheduled for the day of the accident.
Police are investigating the exact motive, suspecting that the resident may have committed the crime after harboring grievances during conflicts surrounding apartment management issues.
Resident testimony also revealed that power cords for CCTV cameras monitoring various parts of the apartment complex, excluding the management office, had all been damaged prior to the incident.
Police plan to determine whether this incident was a premeditated crime prepared in advance.
Police booked a resident in his 70s, identified as A, without detention today (the 23rd) on charges of arson resulting in injury to a building currently in use, following an explosion and fire at an apartment management office in Gyeongsan-si, North Gyeongsang Province, that injured eight people.
The explosion and fire, believed to have been caused by arson, broke out inside the management office of an apartment complex in Sadong, Gyeongsan-si, at around 8:29 a.m. today.
The fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes.
The accident injured eight men and women in their 40s to 70s, including apartment residents.
The injured consist of two men and six women.
Among the injured is person A, who was found to have entered the management office carrying flammable materials just before the explosion.
A senior citizen center was located directly across from the management office where the accident occurred.
Consequently, five elderly individuals reportedly staying at the center at the time also suffered burns.
According to police investigation results and resident statements, A fled the scene immediately after the fire broke out in the management office accompanied by a booming explosion sound.
It was revealed that A then returned home, grabbed a weapon, and came back outside.
A wandered around the apartment complex shouting things like "I'll kill you all" before encountering dispatched police officers.
When police officers pointed handguns and ordered A to drop the weapon, A complied and lay down on the floor.
Police apprehended A at the scene right away.
Person A, who suffered full-body burns from the explosion, is currently being treated in the intensive care unit of a specialized hospital in Daegu.
Police are investigating under the strong suspicion that A committed the crime after harboring grievances stemming from long-standing conflicts with the apartment management office, judging by A's recent activities and behavior before and after the crime.
It was reported that friction had previously existed between the apartment management office and some residents.
Records show that residents had previously filed complaints with the Gyeongsan City Hall on multiple occasions.
It is known that residents and management office officials were scheduled to gather for a meeting today regarding apartment management regulations.
This apartment complex is small enough to be exempt from the mandatory operation of a resident representative council.
The arson suspect reportedly ran for an executive position in the recent election to choose apartment resident representatives but failed to win.
After losing the election, A reportedly caused a disturbance by destroying ballot boxes.
A resident said, "Even before losing the election, A expressed dissatisfaction with apartment management issues, repeatedly visiting the management office to cause disruptions," adding, "A also rampaged at the management office the day before this explosion."
Circumstances also suggest that this incident might have been a premeditated crime prepared in advance rather than a spontaneous offense stemming from accumulated conflicts with the management office.
Person B, a family member of an explosion victim, took out the trash and stopped by the management office at around 7 a.m. today.
At that time, the power cords of the CCTV cameras monitoring various areas of the apartment complex, excluding the management office, were all damaged.
Finding this suspicious, B returned home and informed his wife, who replied, "I also saw that the CCTV cameras were turned off around 8:30 p.m. yesterday (the 22nd) and wondered what was going on."
Later, B's wife visited the management office in the morning to bring up the CCTV issue again and fell victim to the accident.
B stated, "My wife didn't come back after heading to the management office, and the moment I stepped outside my house, I heard an explosion sound," adding, "At that time, A rushed out of the scene first with fire on his body. My wife had collapsed on the floor with burns."
A police official stated, "Since the suspect is currently receiving treatment, we have not yet been able to conduct a formal interrogation," and added, "We plan to investigate all raised questions, including whether it was a premeditated crime."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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