Uljin Police "Confirm Information on 4 Vehicles Possibly Involved in Arson"... Notified Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] As the possibility of arson caused by cigarette butts discarded by drivers has been pointed out as the cause of the wildfire in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, the police have secured information on suspicious vehicles.

The Uljin Police Station in Gyeongbuk announced on the 7th that they identified the license plates of a total of four vehicles that passed through the entrance area of Songisan, Jeongnim-ri, Uljin-eup, Uljin-gun, at the time of ignition on the 4th. This place is presumed to be the initial ignition point of the Uljin wildfire.

According to nearby CCTV footage, three vehicles passed through this area sequentially between 11:07 and 11:13 a.m. on the 4th, after which smoke appeared, and the flames quickly spread throughout the mountain. A police official stated, "Based on the ignition time, we confirmed that a total of four vehicles passed through about 10 minutes before and after," adding, "Vehicle numbers and types will be reported to the Korea Forest Service." He also explained, "The Korea Forest Service will investigate the identity of the vehicle owners, whether they were driving, and whether arson occurred."

Currently, the possibility of arson caused by cigarette butts is strongly suggested as the cause of the wildfire. Choi Byung-am, head of the Korea Forest Service, said at a briefing the previous day, "Since the fire started by the roadside, it is presumed that arson caused by cigarette butts or other fire sources was the cause of the fire." At the same time, forest authorities are also examining various possibilities such as natural ignition. Related experts, including those from the National Institute of Forest Science, completed the first inspection at the fire site on the 4th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.