Arsonist Behind Gangnam Spree Faces Warrant Hearing; Attempted Murder Charges Under Review

[Anchor]

A pre-trial detention hearing has been held for a man in his 70s, identified as Mr. A, who set consecutive fires at two buildings in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul. On his way to court, Mr. A claimed that he only wanted to scare people and repeated assertions that he had been a victim of fraud.

Reporter Jeong Jiyeon has the details.

[Reporter]

Exiting the police station to attend his pre-trial detention hearing on the afternoon of October 22, the 70s serial arsonist Mr. A spoke to reporters.

[Mr. A: I just wanted to scare them. You know, there is fraud going on. I wanted to let the world know. The state, this country is protecting fraudsters.]

Mr. A reportedly admitted to the charges during police interrogation on the day of the crime, stating that he set the fires to frighten patent corporations he believed had deceived him and to bring attention to the matter.

The Seoul Central District Court held a warrant review at 3:00 PM on October 22 for Mr. A, who is accused of injuring 19 people by setting consecutive fires at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul.

When applying for the arrest warrant the previous night, police stated, "Considering that Mr. A was released from prison not long ago, his travel route after the crime, and his unstable housing situation, there is a risk of flight."

According to the police investigation, Mr. A canceled his mobile phone service five days before the crime, purchased flammable materials and plastic containers four days prior, and bought gasoline at a gas station the day before the offense.

During the second police interrogation the previous day, Mr. A reportedly exercised his right to remain silent. However, during his first interrogation, he largely admitted to the acts of arson while denying any intent to kill.

Police are attempting to secure medical records to verify whether Mr. A has a history of psychiatric illness. At the same time, based on witness statements that he searched for a specific employee before starting the fires, authorities are considering applying charges of attempted murder targeting a specific individual.

(Video by: Yang Hyun-chul, Kim Han-gyeol | Video Editing by: Yoon Tae-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.