70-Year-Old Man Arrested for Arson at Patent Law Firm in Yeoksam

A 70-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to two buildings in Yeoksam, a district in Gangnam, Seoul. The motive behind his actions has come to light.

According to Yonhap News on October 20, the man had sought trademark registration from the patent law firm he later targeted. The firm informed him that, due to the nature of the overseas registration, only an online certificate would be issued. However, he demanded a paper certificate and suspected that the firm's attorney had stolen his trademark.

After his arrest, the man shouted at reporters as he entered the Suwon Police Station around 6:15 PM, claiming, "They scammed me at the patent law firm." When asked if he held a grudge against the firm, he replied, "I filed a patent in 2000, and they scammed me," while showing a printed text message that he encouraged reporters to photograph.

The printed message included the line, "I believe I sent you this document; you can consider this as your registration certificate." This message is presumed to have been sent by the patent law firm. When asked how long he had been planning the arson, he responded, "About three days." He also requested that the victims be told, "Please tell them not to scam anyone in the future."

The man is accused of setting fires at the Shinmyung Building at 11:54 AM and the Hanyang Building at 12:01 PM, both of which housed the patent law firm.

Following the fires, police focused on the possibility of arson and tracked his movements. They found that he took a taxi and then traveled on foot to Dongdaemun District before escaping via subway to Dongmyo Station. He was apprehended by the Hyehwa Police Station around 4:16 PM, just four hours after the arson.

As a result of the fires, one person was found in cardiac arrest, and 18 others were injured. Specifically, a patent attorney working on the third floor of the Shinmyung Building was discovered in cardiac arrest in the hallway and was transported to the hospital. The attorney's husband was also reported to have been injured at the scene.

Additionally, nine people were injured in the Shinmyung Building fire, while over 60 managed to evacuate on their own. In the Hanyang Building, located about 200 meters away, eight people were injured, three of whom exhibited severe respiratory distress, while the remaining five sustained minor injuries. The fire at the Hanyang Building was extinguished by 12:35 PM, while the Shinmyung Building fire was fully extinguished by 2:20 PM.