Jeju Seongsan Port Fishing Boat Arson Suspect, Man in His 50s, Urgently Arrested... Denies Crime

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] A man in his 50s suspected of causing a fishing boat fire at Seongsan Port in Seogwipo, Jeju, has been apprehended by the coast guard.

The Seogwipo Coast Guard announced on the 6th that they have urgently arrested Mr. A on suspicion of arson and are currently investigating him.

The Seogwipo Coast Guard confirmed Mr. A's arson suspicion and vehicle number from the CCTV footage around the accident site, conducted inquiries in the Seongsan-eup area, and arrested Mr. A at a parking lot in front of the Dongnam Fisheries Cooperative Bathhouse in Seongsan-eup at around 11:45 a.m. the previous day.

On the 4th, at approximately 3:11 a.m., Mr. A arrived at the harbor where ships were moored in Seongsan Port in his own vehicle, and at 3:18 a.m., he climbed onto the deck of the first ship, which was the innermost among nine ships moored in parallel.

Subsequently, Mr. A was seen passing over the deck of the second ship and moving onto the third moored ship, the B vessel (29 tons), which suffered fire damage.

After 47 minutes, at around 4:05 a.m., Mr. A appeared on the deck of the B vessel, then passed over the decks of two ships toward the land side, descended to land, and at 4:06 a.m., got into his vehicle and immediately left the scene.

Soon after, black smoke began rising from the B vessel, and at around 4:23 a.m., flames erupted with three explosive bursts.

The Seogwipo Coast Guard is investigating the circumstances of the crime with Mr. A, while seizing clothing worn at the time from his residence and requesting an urgent forensic examination to secure evidence.

Mr. A is reportedly denying all charges, claiming he does not remember due to intoxication.

The Seogwipo Coast Guard plans to apply for an arrest warrant for Mr. A on charges of arson of a vessel after additional investigation and securing supplementary evidence.

Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil baekok@asiae.co.kr

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