World · East Asia & Pacific · 3 hrs ago
Seoul police identify 77-year-old suspect in fires at two patent firms
Seoul police identified Lee Myung-soo, 77, as a suspect in fires at two patent firm buildings in the Gangnam district last month.
The fires injured 26 people on Oct.
20.
Police say Lee was arrested soon after the fires and sent to prosecutors last week on arson and attempted murder charges.
Investigators believe he planned the fires and knew people were inside the offices.
Lee says he believed the firms had scammed him and wanted only to frighten people, not hurt them.
South Korean police can release suspects’ names and photographs in serious cases when there is substantial evidence against them.
The charges will now be handled by prosecutors; the sources do not say what happens next in the case.
Seoul police publicly identified 77-year-old Lee Myung-su as the suspect in two fires at patent-law offices in Yeoksam-dong.
Police said Lee allegedly set the fires on October 20, injuring people in both buildings.
Yonhap’s article body says 26 people were injured, while its captions say 19.
Police decided to disclose Lee’s identity after finding the alleged harm serious and evidence sufficient.
His name, age and mugshot were posted on the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency website for 30 days, through December 3.
- Who
- Lee Myung-su, 77, the suspect; police identified him publicly.
- What
- Police released his name, age and mugshot in connection with two alleged arson attacks.
- When
- The information was published on November 3, 2026; police said it would remain online through December 3.
- Where
- Two patent-law office buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul.
- Why
- Police cited the seriousness of the harm, the alleged method and sufficient evidence. Lee said he was angry over what he believed was fraud involving patents.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Police say Lee allegedly set fires at two buildings in Yeoksam-dong.
A police review committee decided to disclose Lee’s identity.
Police added an attempted-murder allegation and referred Lee to prosecutors.
Police published Lee’s name, age and mugshot online.
- Suspect
- Lee Myung-su, 77
- Incident date
- October 20, 2026
- Locations
- Shinmyeong Building and Hanyang Building, Yeoksam-dong
- Injuries
- Yonhap’s article body says 26; its captions say 19
- Disclosure period
- November 3 to December 3, 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
I wanted to scare them and tell the world.
I told the police about the fraud, but they did not investigate.