Foreign Climber Rescued from 73rd Floor After Barehanded Ascent of Jamsil Lotte World Tower (Comprehensive)

A foreigner who was climbing Seoul's Jamsil Lotte World Tower with bare hands was rescued by the fire department.

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On the 12th, the Songpa Fire Station in Seoul announced that at 9:02 a.m. that day, they rescued George King-Thompson (24), a British national who was climbing the Lotte World Tower with bare hands. It was investigated that he attempted the climb for the purpose of 'base jumping,' which involves parachuting from the top of buildings or cliffs.

The fire authorities received a report at around 7:50 a.m. that a foreigner was climbing the west side of the Lotte World Tower with bare hands and dispatched a team. Deploying 54 firefighters and 11 fire trucks, the authorities arrived at the scene at 8:03 a.m. and set up an air mattress in preparation for any emergencies. Later, rescue workers rescued King-Thompson by gondola at the 73rd floor at 9:03 a.m. He had started climbing at 5:02 a.m. and was resting at the 72nd floor at the time.

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After rescuing King-Thompson, the fire department handed him over to the police. The police arrested him on the spot on charges of trespassing.

He showed slight exhaustion symptoms without injury and is currently in recovery. King-Thompson reportedly stated that climbing the Lotte World Tower to fly had been a long-time dream. He planned the climb for six months, entered the country three days prior, stayed one day at a motel, and slept outdoors for two days, according to his statement. The police are investigating the specific purpose and circumstances of the climb.

On the morning of the 12th, a foreigner is climbing the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, with bare hands. / Provided by Seoul Songpa Fire Station [Image source=Yonhap News]

In 2019, King-Thompson was caught by police while climbing the high-rise building 'The Shard' in London, UK, with bare hands. The Shard is a 72-story building with a height of 310 meters.

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