A violent incident deeply hit South Korea and to the underground transport system of Seoul. The past May 31a man identified as Wonof 67 yearscaused a Fire inside a train In motion of the Line 5.
The incident occurred when the train crossed the tunnel between the stations Yeouinaru and Mapo. At that time, the car took 160 passengers.
According to the investigation of the Prosecutor of the Southern District of Seoulthe defendant premeditated the attack with at least Ten days in advance. Bought 3.6 liters of gasolinegetting through a Decomposed motorcyclistand paid in cash not to leave traces.
Besides, used a helmet so as not to be identified by the cameras and acquired a torch type lighter. He also sold his properties and canceled his insurance, which, according to prosecutors, evidenced a clear suicidal intention.
The night before the attack, Won He toured different subway stations, such as Gangnam and Samseonglooking for a scenario that will maximize the damage. Finally, he chose to execute his plan inside a train under the Han Riverwhere the possibility of escaping was minimal for passengers.
The moment of the attack
Surveillance cameras recorded when Won emptied gasoline on the floor of the car before turning it on. The reaction was immediate: panic broke out among users, who tried to escape smoke and flames in a closed space.
According to the report, 22 people They were hospitalized With burns, including a pregnant woman that fell on the fuel. Others 129 They needed Medical care for injuriesinhalation of smoke or nervous breakdown.
The defendant confessed during the judicial process that he wanted to take his life on fire, but also admitted that he wanted to cause a strong public impact. “I wanted to become a social care object,” he said before the judges, according to South Korean media.
The reasons behind the crime
The prosecution attributed the attack on a extreme reaction after the loss of an appeal In his divorce judgment. Won interpreted the judicial resolution as a personal affront.
Although the experts ruled out signs of psychosis, they pointed out that the defendant showed a thought egocentric, cognitive rigidity and Victimization delusionsintensified by their legal conflict.
The researchers concluded that Won acted with full awareness of the consequences lethals of their actions. The fact of having chosen a full car, in an underground stretch, during peak schedule, confirms, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, that it was not a impulse, but a meticulously calculated plan.
The authorities charged Won by Multiple murder attempt, Intentional fire in public transport and violation of the Railway Security Law. For these crimes, I could receive the Maximum penalty provided for in the South Korean judicial system.
The defendant’s decision to start fire in a closed space, without the possibility of ventilation and full of people, evidenced a clear will to cause mass damage, said the accusation.
Why a more serious tragedy was avoided
The train structure avoided even greater tragedy. The wagons incorporate fireproof materials From the tragic fire in the meter of Daegu in 2003where they died 192 people. Following that antecedent, South Korea reinforced its security measures in urban transport systems.
Despite these advances, the shock for this new attack revived fears in the population and led the authorities to review the prevention and emergency protocols again in the Seoul underground network.
The fact generated a broad debate in social media and networkswhere numerous users criticized the lack of controls in access to hazardous materials and questioned the late detection of the attacker’s psychological profile.
Citizen organizations demanded greater mechanisms to contain and detect possible aggressors in situations of emotional crisis or with judicial record. “This type of people They cannot act unpunished in a public space Without anyone noticing it, ”said a spokeswoman for the Seoul Citizen Security Collective.
Source: Ambito
