The police will take charge of the investigation into the large wildfire that occurred in North Gyeongsang Province.
The North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit announced on the 28th that it plans to soon interrogate a man in his 50s, identified as A, who is suspected of violating the Forest Protection Act.
A is suspected of starting the fire while visiting a grave on a mountain in the township of Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on the morning of the 22nd.
Initially, the investigation into A was expected to be handled by the Special Judicial Police of Uiseong-gun, but because this wildfire resulted in casualties and damage to cultural heritage, it was deemed necessary to apply criminal law and the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, leading the police to take over the investigation.
Additionally, the fact that the damage from the wildfire spread beyond Uiseong-gun to include nearby Andong and a total of five cities and counties contributed to the shift to a police investigation.
The police recently summoned A's family as witnesses to conduct preliminary fact-finding investigations, and on the 28th, after the wildfire was fully extinguished, they are in the process of establishing an investigation plan after receiving the entire case from Uiseong-gun.
A has a discrepancy between his registered address and actual residence, making it difficult to determine his exact whereabouts, and it is reported that a swift investigation is necessary.
The police plan to directly interrogate A soon and decide on the level of judicial processing.
The wildfire, which is presumed to have been started by A, spread to five cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province, including Andong, resulting in 24 fatalities and 25 injuries. The blaze was completely extinguished on the afternoon of the 149th hour after it broke out.