Suspect silent on motive; security guard who helped evacuate residents dies

The suspect, a person in their 40s, walks to a courtroom at the Gwangju District Court on Saturday for a pre-arrest detention hearing in connection with an arson attack on an apartment building that left 14 people dead or injured. [Yonhap]
The suspect, a person in their 40s, walks to a courtroom at the Gwangju District Court on Saturday for a pre-arrest detention hearing in connection with an arson attack on an apartment building that left 14 people dead or injured. [Yonhap]

A suspect in their 40s accused of setting fire to an apartment building, killing one person and injuring 13 others, appeared at a pre-arrest detention hearing Saturday and told reporters "I'm sorry" when asked if they had anything to say to the victims.

The Gwangju District Court in Dong-gu held the hearing Saturday on charges of arson of an inhabited structure causing injury against the suspect, identified only as A.

A arrived at the courthouse around 2 p.m., stepping off a transport vehicle with a hat pulled low and a mask covering their face. When reporters asked why they had set the fire, A gave no response.

After the hearing concluded and A was being escorted back to the transport vehicle, the suspect responded to a question about whether they had anything to say to the victims: "I'm sorry."

A was arrested on charges of deliberately setting fire to a unit on the sixth floor of a 21-story apartment building in Unam-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, on Wednesday at around 6:33 p.m., killing one person and injuring 13 others.

A, who has a history of treatment for depression, told police during questioning that they set the fire because they wanted to die, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes, but a security guard in their 70s who had been helping residents evacuate was found in cardiac arrest on the apartment stairwell. The guard was transferred to a hospital and received treatment for three days before dying Friday. Three other people sustained serious injuries and 10 suffered minor injuries.

Police plan to upgrade the charges against A from arson of an inhabited structure causing injury to arson of an inhabited structure causing death, following the security guard's death.

The local government is set to discuss filing an application to have the security guard, who died while helping residents evacuate, designated as a person of distinguished service to society.

A ruling on whether to issue a detention warrant for A was expected later Saturday afternoon.


hajun825@heraldcorp.com