"Exhilarated by Fire News, Couldn't Resist": Hamyang Wildfire Arsonist Turns Out to Be the 'Bongdae Mountain Serial Arsonist' Responsible for 90 Fires

Suspected of Setting Fires Three Times Including the Hamyang Wildfire

"I Felt a Thrill Watching News About Wildfires"

The suspect in the arson case behind the Hamyang wildfire in Gyeongnam Province—recorded as the first major wildfire of the year—has been revealed to be the same individual who, over a span of 17 years, set fire to Bongdae Mountain in Dong-gu, Ulsan, more than 90 times in the past.

According to Yonhap News on March 16, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency recently arrested and detained a man in his 60s, identified as Mr. A, on suspicion of violating the Forest Protection Act and other charges. He is accused of setting fire to a hillside in Changwon-ri, Machon-myeon, Hamyang, last month.

The wildfire, which broke out at approximately 9:14 p.m. on February 21 in Machon-myeon, Hamyang-gun, spread rapidly due to strong winds, making firefighting efforts difficult. The main fire was finally brought under control at 5:00 p.m. on February 23, three days later. The affected area was estimated to be 234 hectares, equivalent to the size of 327 soccer fields. One greenhouse and one farm hut were completely destroyed in the blaze.

A forestry authority helicopter is conducting wildfire suppression work on the morning of the 23rd of last month in Machon-myeon, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam Province. Photo by Yonhap News

Mr. A is suspected of setting a total of three wildfires: the Hamyang fire, one in Baegil-ri, Sannae-myeon, Namwon, Jeonbuk Province on January 29, and another in Gaheung-ri, Machon-myeon, Hamyang-gun on February 7. He has been identified as the so-called "Fire Squirrel of Bongdae Mountain in Ulsan," who was previously caught for habitually setting more than 90 fires in the Bongdae Mountain area of Dong-gu, Ulsan, from 1994 to 2011. At the time, frequent wildfires in the Bongdae Mountain area not only caused significant forest loss but also led to social unrest, with the reward for information leading to his arrest rising to as much as 300 million won.

Mr. A, who was apprehended in March 2011, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for setting fires in Bongdae Mountain and other areas on 37 occasions between 2005 and 2011. Although the police confirmed a total of 96 arson cases, only those committed between December 2005 and March 2011—within the seven-year statute of limitations for forest arson—were prosecuted. He was also ordered to pay damages totaling 420 million won in a civil suit filed by Dong-gu, Ulsan.

Mr. A was released from prison in 2021 and reportedly moved to his hometown in the Hamyang area a few years ago. The police conducted a joint investigation, analyzed CCTV footage, and carried out searches and seizures before apprehending him on March 13. He told police that he "felt exhilarated when watching news about wildfires recently" and "could not resist the urge to set fires." The police plan to investigate whether he has committed additional crimes and will soon refer the case to the prosecution.

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