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Man claiming to be Sewol ferry survivor arrested for weapons possession at gov't building

Published: 02 Sep. 2025, 11:11

[JOONGANG ILBO]

Police on Monday arrested a man in his 60s who claimed to be a Sewol ferry survivor for possessing a weapon in front of a government building after requesting a meeting with the presidential office.

The Yongsan Police Precinct announced Tuesday that it had arrested and questioned the man on charges of possession of a weapon in a public space on Monday. Police apprehended the man in front of the main gate of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Monday.

The man confronted police who attempted to subdue him for approximately 20 minutes, and demanded that he be able to meet with the presidential office to ask for improved treatment for Sewol ferry survivors.

Police said a taser gun was also used during the arrest. The man received first aid for the injuries and met with presidential office personnel at the Civil Affairs Office.

Authorities subsequently sent the man to a hospital for treatment, conducted an investigation and sent him home.

The Sewol ferry disaster occurred on April 16, 2014, when a passenger ferry, the Sewol, capsized and sank en route from Incheon toward Jeju. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 304 people, most of whom were high school students on a field trip.

BY IM SOUNG-BIN [[email protected]]