Hotel Guests Face Deadly Plight in Arson Attack by Manager

A man in his 20s who set fire to a hotel room run by his brother-in-law, injuring guests after being criticized for poor management, has been sentenced to prison in his appellate trial.

The 1st Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court Chuncheon Branch (Presiding Judge Lee Eun-hye) announced on August 21 that it upheld a four-year prison sentence against A (27), who was indicted and detained on charges of attempted arson of an inhabited building, causing injury through arson of an inhabited building, and arson of a general structure.

A, who worked as a manager at a hotel in Wonju operated by his brother-in-law B, was put on trial for setting fire to a hotel room mattress with a disposable lighter on June 14 of last year. The act caused guests staying in multiple rooms to suffer injuries, including bronchitis, pneumonia, and panic disorder triggered by chemical substances, gas, and smoke.

At the time, four people sustained minor and major injuries and were transported to the hospital, while about 10 guests evacuated or were rescued by firefighters.

A stated that he committed the crime after his brother-in-law B reprimanded him for poor cleaning conditions and other matters for about two hours, using profanity directed at his parents.

However, A did not stop at a single crime. Later that year on July 29, while living in a hotel room that was out of operation due to fire damage, he used a disposable lighter to set fire to a mattress, which spread up the wall and into the interior.

Initially, the fire was presumed to have been caused by a simple electrical short circuit, but the case entered a new phase when the National Forensic Service released a fire investigation report stating that "artificial factors cannot be ruled out over electrical factors."

Police verified that A's statements lacked credibility through a lie detector test administered to A, who was the primary suspect at the time.

Investigators also discovered photos containing traces of arson through a forensic analysis of A's mobile phone.

Based on this evidence, police interrogated A and obtained a confession.

The indictment also included the fact that earlier in early June of last year, A attempted arson by repeatedly setting fire to the wallpaper and fixtures of an office inside the hotel after being reprimanded by B for failing to properly manage the property.

The Wonju branch of the Chuncheon District Court, which handled the first trial, sentenced A to prison, stating, "There was a risk that if the fire spread, it could have led to a massive blaze given the presence of other unmanned motels and gas stations near the hotel where the defendant committed the crime." The court added, "Since there were more than four groups of guests in the hotel at the time of the crime, horrific casualties could have occurred, making the risk of the crime extremely high and the consequences grave."

Reviewing the case again following appeals from both sides arguing that the sentence was unfair, the appellate court stated, "The sentence imposed on the defendant by the lower court is recognized as being within the reasonable scope of discretion regarding sentencing," and maintained the original sentence.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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