The suspect, identified only as A, arrives at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu on Thursday to attend a pre-arrest hearing in connection with two arson attacks at buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, that injured nearly 20 people. [Yonhap]
The suspect, identified only as A, arrives at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu on Thursday to attend a pre-arrest hearing in connection with two arson attacks at buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, that injured nearly 20 people. [Yonhap]

A man in his 70s has been detained on suspicion of setting fire to two buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, injuring 19 people.

Seoul Central District Court Judge Bu Dong-sik held a pre-arrest hearing for the suspect, identified only as A, Thursday afternoon and issued an arrest warrant on charges of arson of an occupied building causing bodily harm.

Judge Bu cited a flight risk as the grounds for issuing the warrant.

A is accused of setting fires on Tuesday — first on the third floor of the Shinmyung Building at around 11:54 a.m., then on the fourth floor of the Hanyang Building at around 12:01 p.m. — injuring 19 people. One patent attorney among the victims was transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest and remains under treatment.

Both targeted locations housed patent law firm offices. Police believe A harbored a grudge against the firms, suspecting them of fraud in his patent registration process.

As he entered the court for the hearing Thursday, A was asked by reporters whether he had intended to kill anyone. "Kill? I just wanted to scare them," he said, adding that he set the fires "to expose the fraudsters to the world. This country protects con artists."

Four years ago, A was indicted on charges of attempting to set fire to the same two patent law firms and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

The Seoul Suseong Police Station is investigating whether A has a mental illness, based on indications that he was fixated on paper patent registration certificates. Police are also reviewing whether to add attempted murder charges, taking into account testimony that A had been looking for a specific individual just before the attacks.


klee@heraldcorp.com