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Man admits to subway arson that injured 150: 'It was wrong'

Published: 19 Aug. 2025, 15:38 Updated: 19 Aug. 2025, 20:31

A man accused of setting fire to a Seoul Metro Line No. 5 train appears at the Seoul Southern District Court in western Seoul on June 2. [NEWS1]

A 67-year-old man accused of setting fire to a Seoul Metro Line No. 5 train earlier this year admitted to all charges during his first court hearing on Tuesday.

The Seoul Southern District Court held the first trial for the suspect, surnamed Won, who has been charged with attempted murder, arson of an occupied train resulting in injury and violation of the Railroad Safety Act.

“I am deeply remorseful for what I did,” Won said. “It was wrong.”

But while he accepted the attempted murder charge, Won maintained that he did not carry out the crime with “definite intent” but rather with “indirect intent.”

“He fell into an extreme and misguided delusion that arson was the only way to express his frustration, and appears to have committed the crime while in a diminished mental state,” his lawyer said.

Prosecutors requested that the court impose an electronic tracking device and probation.

“The defendant attempted to commit murder,” the prosecution said. “Considering his motive, method and circumstances, there is a high risk that he could commit another homicide in the future.”

Won poured gasoline on the floor of a Line No. 5 subway train on May 31 at 8:42 a.m. and set it on fire between Yeouinaru Station and Mapo Station. He attempted to kill all 160 passengers on board, including himself, and injured six in the process.

Twenty-three people, including Won, were hospitalized for smoke inhalation after the blaze. Another 129 passengers received emergency treatment at the scene. One car of the train was partially destroyed, causing more than 300 million won ($216,000) in property damage.

Investigators said Won had been angered by the outcome of his divorce settlement and that he had carried out the crime in a public setting for attention.

Prosecutors found that he had purchased gasoline in advance, scouted potential locations for the act and liquidated his assets, then transferred money to relatives in preparation for his own death.

He will appear in court on Sept. 16 for his next hearing.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON SANG-HYEOK [[email protected]]