"Reveal the Truth" ... Suspect Accused of Causing Milyang Wildfire Found Dead

A wildfire that occurred in May near a hill in Chunhwa-ri, Bubuk-myeon, Miryang-si, Gyeongnam. [Image source=Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] A man in his 60s, Mr. A, who was under investigation for a large forest fire in Miryang City, Gyeongnam Province, which burned a mountain equivalent to 1,000 soccer fields and was extinguished in four days last May, was found dead leaving a suicide note.

According to the Miryang Police Station, Mr. A was being investigated on suspicion of violating the Forest Protection Act by arson.

Miryang City requested an investigation from the Miryang Police Station to determine the cause of the forest fire after it was extinguished.

The police reviewed nearby security CCTV footage and conducted joint forensic examinations with the National Forensic Service and the Gyeongnam Police Agency forensic team, identifying Mr. A as the sole suspect.

Evidence included that Mr. A was working near the site of the fire on the day it started, his movements were confirmed around the fire origin point, there were no signs of other outsiders entering, and that Mr. A was a smoker.

Mr. A, who had been appearing for police questioning since June 3, consistently denied the charges, and it is known that he appeared at the Miryang Police Station with a lawyer two days before his death to be questioned about his actions before and after the fire.

The police reported that at 6:15 p.m. on the 18th, they received a report from Mr. A’s family that he was missing and began a search, later finding Mr. A deceased on the hillside where the forest fire initially started.

According to the police, two handwritten suicide notes on A4 paper were found in a wallet in the back pocket of the pants Mr. A was wearing.

The notes contained a request to "reveal the truth."

The police decided to close the related investigation on the 21st following the death of Mr. A, the sole suspect.

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