A suspect who set fire to a Seoul Subway Line 5 train carrying around 400 passengers on the morning of May 31, 2025, was apprehended by the police while being rescued by firefighters.
The Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul announced that a man in his 60s, identified as Mr. A, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of arson after setting fire to a subway train heading from Yeouinaru Station to Mapo Station that morning.
According to police, Mr. A was found collapsed in the underwater tunnel beneath the Han River after committing the crime and was rescued by firefighters.
While Mr. A was being carried out on a stretcher from the platform at Yeouinaru Station in Yeongdeungpo District, police noticed his hands were significantly covered in soot, unlike other passengers, which raised suspicion and led them to question him. Mr. A admitted to the charges at the time and was arrested at around 9:45 AM as a suspect caught in the act. The police are currently analyzing a lighter-style torch and a glass container filled with fuel, both used in the crime.
It has been reported that Mr. A set the fire with a blank expression. A passenger who initially reported the fire said, “He had such a blank expression that I wondered if a person could look that emotionless.” The passenger also recalled hearing Mr. A ask for tissue paper, presumably to ignite the fire, but said that was the only thing he said.
A police official stated that they would be conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances and motive behind the crime. Meanwhile, 21 people sustained minor injuries such as smoke inhalation and abrasions and were taken to hospitals, while 130 others received emergency treatment at the scene. Subway service on Seoul Line 5 in the southbound direction between Yeouido Station and Aeogae Station was suspended for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes due to the incident.
