A man in his 30s who set multiple fires in the area around Chiaksan in Wonju, Gangwon Province, has been isolated from society.
According to the Wonju Police Station on the 10th, the Chuncheon District Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. A, who was charged with violating the Forest Protection Act and general arson, the previous day.
The court determined to issue the warrant based on concerns about evidence destruction and flight risk.
Mr. A is accused of setting fires with a lighter on five occasions from the 26th of last month to the 6th of this month, burning approximately 60 pyeong of trees and weeds in the area of Chiaksan in Socho-myeon, Wonju.
The police conducted an investigation considering the possibility of arson, based on the facts that all fire occurrences took place in remote areas of Chiaksan and that there were no particular factors that could have caused a fire.
Afterward, through surrounding inquiries and analysis of nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, police identified a key suspect. On the 6th, while Mr. A was lurking near Chiaksan, he was witnessed igniting a branch and throwing it onto a field embankment around 3 p.m., leading to his immediate arrest, and the fire was self-extinguished.
Mr. A is known to have denied the accusations to the police. No injuries were reported from the various fires set by Mr. A.
A spokesperson for the Wonju Police Station said, "Given the dry weather and strong winds in the spring, there was a risk of wildfire in the Chiaksan area; however, the swift arrest by the police averted potential anxiety for residents," adding, "We will continue to do our best for the safety of residents by preventing fires through regular patrols and conducting strict investigations into illegal activities."