The "Bongdaesan fire squirrel," who caused the first major wildfire of the year in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang, has been arrested.
The Geochang branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office said on Apr. 7 that it indicted a 64-year-old person surnamed Kim on charges including violating the Forest Disaster Prevention Act and sought detention.
Kim is accused of setting three fires in January–February in Namwon, North Jeolla, and Macheon-myeon, Hamyang, and of causing the large wildfire that broke out on Feb. 21 on a hillside in Macheon-myeon, Hamyang.
Kim was previously known as the "Ulsan Bongdaesan fire squirrel" and is said to have committed more than 90 arsons around Bongdaesan from 1994 to 2011. Kim was later sentenced to 10 years in prison, was released in 2021, and then moved to the Hamyang area.
To determine the cause of the Hamyang wildfire, police conducted an investigation that included video analysis and searches and seizures, then urgently arrested Kim and sent the case to prosecutors with Kim in custody.
In a police interview, Kim reportedly said, "I felt a thrill while watching news about wildfires and could not resist the impulse to set fires, so I committed the crime."