A man in his 70s accused of setting fire to two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, had previously served a prison term for threatening a patent firm employee with gasoline four years ago.
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the man, identified only as A, to two years and six months in prison in April 2023 after he was charged with aggravated intimidation involving the use of a dangerous weapon, according to reporting by The Seoul Economic Daily compiled on the 20th.
At around 11:20 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2022, A entered a patent firm office in Gangnam-gu carrying four plastic honey bottles filled with gasoline, a long gas lighter and a pair of scissors. He then abruptly threw gasoline on an employee in their 50s who had come to consult with him, telling the employee to "explain yourself," and held up the gas lighter in a motion to ignite it. He was indicted for chasing and threatening the victim as the person fled. After fleeing the scene, A went to another patent firm at around 11:40 a.m. the same day, where he is accused of throwing gasoline on an employee and making threats, saying, "I hear patent attorneys make the most money. Don't scam people."
A had asked the two patent firms to file domestic and international design registrations and patent applications for exercise equipment he had developed, then requested that they obtain paper certificates of registration for him. The firms' employees told him they could not meet his request because some European countries do not issue paper certificates as a matter of policy, and asked for additional fees, prompting the attacks.
There is also a possibility that the two buildings A set on fire on the 20th are the same locations as the patent firms he targeted earlier. A is accused of setting fires in succession on the third floor of the Shinmyung Building in Yeoksam-dong at around 11:54 a.m. and on the fourth floor of the Hanyang Building in Yeoksam-dong at around 12:01 p.m. that day. After fleeing the scene, he was arrested near Dongmyo Station at around 4:16 p.m. the same day.
A total of 19 people were injured in the two fires. At the Shinmyung Building, two people were seriously injured and nine suffered minor injuries, while 60 evacuated on their own. One of the seriously injured, a woman in her 30s who had gone into cardiac arrest, regained breathing while being transported to a hospital. At the Hanyang Building, three people were seriously injured and five suffered minor injuries.
Police plan to question A on the circumstances and motive behind the crime.