By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Police raided the headquarters of KT Telecop in Seoul Friday to secure documents and files to determine why the security company failed to help prevent the arson attack that destroyed the national treasure Sungnyemun.
The security company has provided unmanned security services for the gate under a contract with the government since late January.
The raid came hours after police conducted an on-the-spot inspection with the arsonist Chae, 70.
More than 100 policemen tightly guarded the handcuffed old man, preventing possible incidents stemming from nearby angry crowds.
Asked about the feeling of coming back to the crime scene, Chae had no comment.
However, asked if he had regrets, the arsonist repeated what he claimed the previous day, claiming that President Roh Moo-hyun should be held responsible for his crime as his petitions regarding a land dispute had been rejected.
``The king turned his back on the people... isn't the President's role to care for the weak? I made a petition (to the government) three times but they were useless,'' he said.
Stepping into the inside of the screen surrounding the 610-year-old national treasure, he said, ``I don’t feel good. But as there were no casualties, it will be okay as long as the treasure will be reconstructed.’’
He reconstructed his crime with a mock thinner bottle and cigarette lighter for about 10 minutes.
The two-tiered, colorful wooden structure atop a stone base burned down early Monday after being set ablaze with paint thinner by the 70-year old man.
The suspect, who confessed to the arson attack Wednesday, said a grudge against authorities drove him to commit the crime after he was not properly compensated by developers for a plot of rural land he owned, and his appeals went unheeded by the government.