Arson Attack ​at Cheongju Inn Leaves Three Dead

Early this morning⁤ in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province,​ a man in ​his 40s set fire to an ‌inn and fled after a conflict over accommodation fees.

Fire and ‌smoke quickly spread through the inn, which had no sprinklers, and all three⁤ people staying⁤ there ultimately died.

Journalist Lee Moon-hyeon reports on‍ the tragic ​incident.

Fire Breaks⁢ Out at Cheongju Inn

Black smoke and burning flames engulfed ‌the building, and firefighters worked tirelessly to put out the​ flames.

The fire broke out at 1:44 a.m. in a three-story inn ⁣in Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do.

Firefighters arrived at 1:50 a.m.​ and extinguished the fire by 2:41⁢ a.m.,⁢ but⁤ unfortunately, all three residents in the ⁢building lost ‌their lives.

Two‍ people were​ found in cardiac ​arrest inside the ​room, and one person was discovered in the hallway.

The inn, licensed in‌ 1985, was not required to have sprinklers, which may have contributed ⁢to the high number of⁢ casualties.

“I think‍ he died during the evacuation‌ of the second-floor hallway. There‍ was⁤ so much smoke that he would have lost consciousness if he had inhaled even a sip.”

Fire ‍Official

Arson Investigation Underway

According to the police investigation, the⁤ cause of the fire was arson.

A 48-year-old Mr. Kim, who⁤ had been staying at the inn for an extended‍ period, was forced to check out yesterday afternoon after a dispute with the inn owner over accommodation ​fees.

Mr. Kim, who harbored a grudge over the incident, returned to the inn⁣ in the early hours of the morning⁣ and set it on fire.

Police believe Mr. Kim used ​a lighter to ignite insulation piled inside the first-floor door.

Mr. Kim fled the ⁢scene after starting the fire but was apprehended by police three hours later,⁢ around ⁤4:40 a.m.

“Investigators tracked the suspect through CCTV and immediately arrested‌ him nearby. I heard he ⁢was ‍a ‍bit drunk.”

Police Official

Police plan to apply for an arrest warrant for Mr. Kim as early as tomorrow after conducting a thorough investigation.

This is Moonhyun Lee from MBC News.

Video Coverage: Jang Se-young‍ (correspondent) / Video Editing:⁤ Min Gyeong-tae / Video provided by: Cheongju Eastern Fire Department