Man in 30s Arrested for Serial Arson at Four Convenience Stores... Rambling While Intoxicated

Denial of Charges in Arson Case at Restaurant in Sangye-dong, Seoul

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[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] A man in his 30s who repeatedly committed arson at convenience stores and unmanned cafes in downtown Seoul has been arrested.

According to the Nowon Police Station in Seoul on the 26th, a 31-year-old man identified as A set fire to discarded banners piled up in the parking lot of a restaurant in Sangye-dong, Seoul, around 7 a.m. that day. About 30 minutes later, he entered a convenience store, set fire to products on display, and fled.

A is also suspected of setting fire to an unmanned cafe and mailboxes in a multi-family housing complex. According to the police, A was intoxicated at the time of arrest and was unable to provide a proper statement. Furthermore, he is reported to be denying the arson charge related to the restaurant parking lot fire in Sangye-dong.

The police, considering the possibility of serial arson, deployed one criminal investigation team. Since the scale of the fires was not large, no casualties occurred at the four locations suspected to have been set on fire by A. The police are currently investigating A to determine the exact motive and whether there are additional crimes.