April 22, 2025
SEOUL – The suspected arsonist behind a fatal fire that broke out Monday morning at an apartment in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, was found dead at the site, police said Monday.
The scorched body of a 61-year-old man, the prime suspect, was found on the fourth floor of the 21-story apartment building, authorities said, after the fire was extinguished at around 10 a.m., leaving one dead and six injured.
The suspect, according to the police, lived on the third floor of the apartment building and frequently had fights with his upstairs neighbors due to noise complaints.
Police said the fingerprints of the man and the suspected arsonist matched, based on their investigation.
The fire, which was reported to have started at 8:17 a.m., was started by “a man who was shooting a flamethrower” in the vicinity of the apartment complex, according to an initial report filed with police.
According to local media reports, the suspect’s mother was living near the apartment complex and the suspect had also frequently gotten into fights with his mother’s neighbors over noise issues.
In surveillance camera footage, the suspect can be seen riding a motorcycle from the apartment complex, which was also found at the parking lot of the apartment where the fire broke out.
Police added that a pesticide sprayer loaded with fuel was also found at the site where the fire broke out.
“We believe it is possible that the initial report of a man using a flamethrower was a misidentification of someone using a pesticide sprayer,” an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency told the press. “We also found that the fingerprints on the body found at the scene matched the fingerprints on the pesticide sprayer.”
It was also reported that the suspected arsonist left a letter presumed to be a suicide note inside his home. According to police, the note included apologetic messages directed toward his family as well as 50,000 won ($35) in cash to use for his “mother’s hospital bills.”
Police are conducting further investigations to determine the motive behind Monday’s arson.
Authorities said they “found evidence of the arsonist entering the apartment but not leaving it,” in support of their claim that the man found dead in the building is the prime suspect in this case.
“However, it is also possible that (the suspect) may have escaped through the stairwell, where no security cameras are available,” said the SMPA official, adding that investigations are still open and ongoing. “Police have deployed emergency units across Seoul to capture the suspect as quickly as possible.”
Currently, 177 riot police have been deployed near the site of the fire and throughout the city to assist with taking safety measures and apprehending the suspect.
Of the six that were injured, two women in their 70s and 80s sustained serious injuries.
After suffering full-body burns, the two fell from the fourth floor to the first. Four other residents in their 50s to 80s were also reportedly experiencing breathing difficulties after inhaling smoke.
All six injured individuals were rushed to the nearest hospital, according to authorities.