At about 7:50 p.m. on the 3rd, a fire broke out on a low hill behind the National Election Commission in Jungang-dong, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.
According to fire authorities, there were no injuries, but part of the surrounding forest was reportedly burned.
Police officers from a mobile unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, deployed to the National Election Commission to prepare for contingencies on election day, attempted to put out the fire with extinguishers.
Fire authorities then arrived on the scene after a report from the National Election Commission. After mobilizing 11 pieces of equipment and 33 personnel, the fire was completely extinguished at about 8:07 p.m., roughly 10 minutes after it started.
The ignition point was a walking trail within the National Election Commission grounds, known to be inaccessible to outsiders. It is about 100 meters from the main building of the National Election Commission.
A police official said, "There is a fence around the outside of the National Election Commission, so it appears outsiders could not have come in as far as the ignition point," adding, "We will continue verification through CCTV and other means."
Police and fire authorities are investigating the details of the fire, leaving open all possibilities, including arson.