A man in his 40s suspected of attempting arson with a lighter and an insecticide spray on a moving subway train was taken into custody by police.
The Seoul Jungbu Police Station said on the 30th that on the 29th it arrested a man in his 40s, identified as A, as a flagrant offender on suspicion of attempted arson of an occupied train and is investigating.
A is suspected of attempting arson with a lighter and an insecticide spray inside a train traveling from Myeong-dong Station to Chungmuro Station on Subway Line No. 4 at about 9:12 p.m. on the 29th.
Passengers who saw this immediately stopped the act by taking away the insecticide and the lighter, and it was determined that no fire ignited. No passengers were injured during the intervention.
Police dispatched in response to a report arrested A as a flagrant offender within 10 minutes of the call. At the time of the offense, A was found not to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It was confirmed that A has no prior record of similar offenses, and it was found that in a police interview A claimed to be receiving treatment for a mental illness.
Police are reviewing a request for an arrest warrant after confirming A's specific crime details and motive.