Suspect claims that Roh made him set gate fire

A closed-circuit bus video shows arson suspect Chae Jong-gi get off a bus near Namdaemun Sunday before the gate was destroyed by fire. [NEWSIS]

Saying “President Roh Moo-hyun made me do it,” Namdaemun arson suspect Chae Jong-gi spoke to reporters for the first time yesterday.
He said he burned down National Treasure No. 1 because the government did not help him get more compensation from a construction company that took his home for a development project a decade ago.
“I submitted a petition to the Blue House and a district office countless times, but what they told me was that they could not give me the money so just do whatever you want,” Chae said, on his way to attend a warrant hearing yesterday.
“I picked Namdaemun because many people can see it, but I did not know the gate would completely burn down,” Chae said in front of the Namdaemun Police Precinct. “At first, I planned to derail a train, but I gave up the plan because people on the train would die. I am so sorry to the people and I deeply regret what I did.”
Later in the day, the Seoul Central District Court approved a warrant to detain Chae for further investigation. “We issued the warrant because there is a chance the suspect will flee,” said Lee Gwang-man, the judge at the court.
Chae also said that there is social discrimination in Korea against people who did not go to school. Chae dropped out of elementary school.
The construction company offered Chae about 100 million won ($105,800) for his home 10 years ago, but Chae felt it was not enough.
“I went to the ombudsman of Korea in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, but officials there said they could not help me. When I filed a complaint with the court, a judge did not say anything. Then, I was evicted from my house,” Chae said.
Police also made public an additional video clip yesterday, from the camera of a bus Chae took to Namdaemun Sunday. It shows the 69-year-old getting on the bus, carrying a ladder in a sack. The suspect told police he broke into the second floor of the gate on that day and started the fire by igniting paint thinner with a cigarette lighter.

By Kang Ki-heon, Seon Seung-hye JoongAng Ilbo [soejung@joongang.co.kr]