Appeals court upholds 20-year sentence for Bangsan Market arsonist

The Seoul High Court upheld the 20-year prison sentence for a man who set fire to a commercial building in Bangsan Market in Jung District, central Seoul, which killed a fellow merchant.

The court upheld the lower court’s sentence, according to the legal community on Tuesday. The defendant had been convicted of causing death by arson of an occupied building.

Prosecutors said that the man set fire to the building in July of last year after arguing with another merchant who ran a business in the same space.

The victim had reportedly asked him to leave the premises. The defendant, believing that he had been disrespected, then set fire to the building, according to the court.

The lower court found that the defendant acted with the intent to kill, citing his failure to seek help for the victim after starting the fire.

“He set fire to a building occupied by multiple people simply because he was angry,” the lower court said. “He immediately left the scene without attempting to extinguish the fire or rescue the victim, who remained inside.”

The defendant appealed, arguing that the sentence was excessive, but the appellate court rejected the claim.

“There are no mitigating circumstances surrounding the motive for the crime,” said the court. “The defendant poured a large amount of flammable liquid near the building’s only entrance, contributing to the victim’s death, which demonstrates the seriousness of the offense.”

The appellate court said that it also took into consideration how the victim’s bereaved family had refused to accept financial compensation from the defendant and sought a severe punishment for him, as well as the property damage caused to the building and neighboring businesses.

BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]