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Accused Seoul subway arsonist admits he lit fire to draw attention to divorce settlement

Published: 02 Jun. 2025, 17:27

A man surnamed Won, in his 60s, accused of setting fire to a moving subway train on Seoul Metro Line No. 5, appears at the Seoul Southern District Court in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on June 2 for a pretrial detention hearing. [NEWS1]

A man in his 60s who admitted to starting a fire on a Seoul Subway Line 5 train on Saturday told reporters that he committed the act to draw public attention to the outcome of his divorce case.

The suspect, identified by his surname Won, appeared at the Seoul Southern District Court for a pretrial detention hearing on charges of arson causing injury on Monday, in his first public appearance in two days since the incident.

Won arrived at the courthouse shortly after 10 a.m., wearing a white hat and a black mask.

When reporters asked whether the attack was meant to publicize his dissatisfaction with a divorce ruling, he replied, “Yes.”

He declined to respond to other questions, including whether the act was premeditated, how he obtained gasoline, or if he had anything to say to the victims.

The session began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted about 15 minutes.

As Won left the courthouse at around 10:45 a.m., he acknowledged the charges when asked if he admitted guilt, replying, “Yes.”

Asked if he had anything to say about nearly causing mass casualties, he said, “I’m sorry.”

He denied trying to pose as a victim by being carried out on a stretcher to evade suspicion, responding, “No,” to that question.

When asked again whether he committed the act to publicize his dissatisfaction with the divorce verdict, he repeated, “Yes.”

Won declined to answer further questions, including what specifically about the divorce ruling he opposed.

A man who identified himself as Won’s older brother told reporters at the courthouse that Won had worked as a taxi driver, and claimed his brother’s divorce stemmed from a domestic dispute four years ago.

“About four years ago, he went home in the morning and told [his wife] he wanted grilled mackerel for breakfast, but she didn’t make it — that became the reason for their divorce," he said.

He said the appellate court ruled against Won two weeks ago, finding him the party at fault. The brother claimed Won was angry over what he believed was an excessive amount of alimony and property division ordered by the court.

“My brother told me to let the media know how difficult things were for him,” the man said.

He added that Won had not answered his phone the day before the fire and later called at around 11:30 a.m. on the day of the incident, saying, “I did something big,” and told him he was in police custody.

“I never imagined he’d do something like this,” the brother said.

The court is expected to decide on Won’s detention as early as today.

Passengers evacuate through an underground tunnel after a fire broke out on a Seoul Metro Line No. 5 train on May 31. [YEONGDEUNGPO FIRE STATION]

Yeongdeungpo police say Won started the fire around 8:43 a.m. Saturday, on a train traveling between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations. He allegedly poured a flammable liquid on the floor and on clothing he had removed, then ignited it with a torch lighter. About 400 passengers were on board at the time.

The blaze was extinguished in roughly 20 minutes using onboard fire extinguishers. Still, 23 people, including Won, were hospitalized for inhaling smoke, and another 129 were treated on site. One train car suffered partial fire damage, with losses estimated at 330 million won ($240,000).

Police said they became suspicious when they saw severe burns on Won’s hands as he was being taken out on a stretcher at Yeouinaru Station. After being questioned, Won confessed and was arrested at the scene. Authorities filed a request for his pretrial detention the following day.

Won reportedly told police he started the fire because he was angry over the result of his divorce trial.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]