Police applied for an arrest warrant for a man in his 60s who caused a fire on Seoul Subway Line 5 on the 31st of last month.
The Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul reported on the 1st that it had submitted an arrest warrant for a man in his 60s, referred to as A, on charges of causing damage by arson.
A is suspected of having committed arson on a train traveling between Yeoinaru Station and Mapo Station around 8:43 a.m. the previous day. He reportedly sprayed a flammable liquid inside the train before igniting his clothing.
The fire resulted in injuries to 23 people. At the time, about 400 passengers were on board the train. As smoke spread throughout the vehicle, passengers manually opened the doors and evacuated along the tracks.
The fire caused partial damage to one subway car and soot damage to two others. The property damage was estimated at 330 million won. Train operations were also disrupted. At one point, Line 5 trains passed without stopping at Mapo Station and Yeoinaru Station, and service was halted between Yeouido Station and Aeogae Station.
Police urgently arrested A in the morning of the day the fire accident occurred. It is reported that after the crime, while moving along the tracks and being carried out on a stretcher to the Yeoinaru platform, police became suspicious of the soot on A's hands and apprehended him after questioning.
A is reported to have stated during police questioning, "I committed the crime because I was dissatisfied with the outcome of my divorce lawsuit with my wife."
The court's hearing for pre-arrest questioning of the suspect is scheduled to take place on the 2nd, following the prosecution's application for a warrant.