All arrest warrants for the suspects accused of causing the 'Gyeongbuk forest fire' have been dismissed.
The Daegu District Court's Uiseong branch's Chief Judge Gong Byeong-hoon held a pre-arrest interrogation for suspect A, a man in his 50s visiting a grave, and suspect B, a man in his 60s who is a tenant of an orchard, and made this decision.
Judge Gong stated, "Key evidence to prove the suspects' arson has already been collected, and it cannot be ruled out that different causes may have combined to lead to the destruction of forests spanning tens of thousands of hectares," adding, "There is room for dispute regarding the determination of the extent of damage related to the suspects' actions."
He further noted, "Based solely on the submitted investigation records, there is insufficient evidence to support charges of residence violations, flight, and destruction of evidence, making it difficult to recognize grounds for arrest at this stage."
Earlier that day, the interrogation for the two suspects began at 3 p.m. at the Uiseong branch and lasted approximately 10 minutes each.
Suspect A has admitted to the charges during the police investigation, while suspect B continues to deny the allegations up to this day.
Suspect A is accused of setting fire to trees growing on his grandparents' grave in Goesan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong County, on the 22nd of last month, while suspect B is accused of causing a forest fire by burning agricultural waste at an orchard in Yonggiri, violating the Forest Protection Act.