Court issues arrest warrant for suspect in patent firm arson attacks
A man suspected of committing arson at two buildings in southern Seoul attends a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Thursday. Yonhap
A Seoul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 70s suspected of setting fires at two buildings in southern Seoul earlier this week, leaving 19 people injured.
The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant on charges of arson resulting in injuries, saying the man is a flight risk.
The suspect was taken into custody hours after setting fires at two patent firms in separate buildings in Seoul's Gangnam district Tuesday. The fires left 19 people injured, including one who was rushed to a hospital in cardiac arrest.
Police suspect the man held a grudge against the firms as he claimed they had defrauded him by issuing fake patent registration certificates.
The suspect told investigators that he had bought two jerrycans, a lighter and flammable materials near his home in western Seoul on Friday, according to the police.
Police are examining the suspect's psychiatric records and considering additional charges of attempted murder based on testimony that he had been looking for a specific person before setting the fires.
The suspect was previously sentenced to two and a half years in prison for attempting to set fires at the same patent firms four years ago.