Arson at Opposing Lawyer's Office Over Dissatisfaction with Trial Loss
Lawyers Complain "Clients' Verbal Abuse and Threats Are Frequent"
Calls Grow for a System to Strictly Punish Judicial Terrorism
On the 9th, a fire broke out in a lawyer's office building near the Daegu District Court in Beomeo-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu, and citizens were waiting for rescue near the rooftop. / Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] As it has been identified that the suspect in the arson incident at a law office in Daegu committed the crime out of resentment over the trial outcome, concerns about 'judicial terrorism' within the legal community are growing. Lawyers often face verbal abuse and threats from clients, but many express anxiety due to the lack of proper protective measures.
At around 10:55 a.m. on the 9th, a fire broke out on the second floor of a seven-story building near the Daegu District Court in Beomeo-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu, resulting in seven deaths (including the arson suspect) and over 40 injuries. The suspect, a man in his 50s named Cheon, carried a container filled with flammable material to room 203 on the second floor of the building and set it on fire.
The police believe that Cheon committed the crime out of resentment after losing a lawsuit demanding the return of investment funds in a redevelopment project. The building where the fire occurred housed the law office of the opposing party’s lawyer in the lawsuit filed by Cheon. The lawyer was outside at the time of the fire and escaped harm, but six others, including another lawyer and staff working in the office, lost their lives.
There have been several past incidents involving physical attacks targeting legal professionals. A representative case is the 'Judge Crossbow Terror' incident in 2007, where a former professor who lost a reinstatement lawsuit shot a crossbow at an appellate court judge, injuring him. In 2014, a client dissatisfied with a civil lawsuit outcome set fire to a law office in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, completely destroying it. In 2018, an unprecedented incident occurred where a man unhappy with a ruling threw a Molotov cocktail at the vehicle of Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo as he was going to work.
As a personal grudge escalates into terrorism that takes innocent lives, shock and fear are spreading throughout the legal community. It is common for lawyers to have disputes, big or small, with clients during litigation, and many also endure verbal abuse, criticism, or threats. Lawyer A, who requested anonymity, said, "It is common for clients to express anger and threaten lawyers over trial results. The Daegu incident is a fatal arson case, but its essence is not much different, and such incidents could happen again at any time."
Lawyer B, who mainly handles sexual violence cases, also said, "Most lawyers face various attacks such as resentment and venting from clients. The bigger problem is that there are no protective measures against attacks from clients." He added, "When disputes arise with clients, courts and investigative agencies sometimes view lawyers negatively or tacitly demand concessions. We must now realize the seriousness of attacks against lawyers and establish concrete countermeasures."
Professor Lee Sujeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University analyzed, "This incident is an antisocial indiscriminate terror caused by distrust in the judicial system. The person targeted by the suspect was the opposing lawyer. Although this lawyer did not directly cause economic loss to the suspect, the suspect went straight to commit the crime, indicating deep distrust and an inability to make rational decisions." She continued, "A system to severely punish judicial terrorism perpetrators must be established as soon as possible. If legal professionals are in an environment where they can be attacked at any time, no lawyer can work with peace of mind."
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