Evicted guest burns down inn; 3 killed

(Herald DB)

Police said Sunday they will request an arrest warrant for a 48-year-old man accused of starting a fire at an inn after he had recently been kicked out, an incident that has left three guests dead.

The suspect is believed to have set fire to the three-story building in Sangdang-gu of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, at 1:46 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Sangdang Police Station. A long-term guest at the establishment, he was evicted a day earlier by the innkeeper when he failed to pay his bill of 300,000 won ($224).

The three men killed were other long-term guests at the inn -- in their 50s, 60s and 80s, respectively -- according to police.

Police suspected arson after finding evidence to suggest that someone had deliberately started the fire with newspaper. Around three hours after the incident, the suspect was apprehended nearby.

It was found that the facility did not have a sprinkler system that could have reduced damages or prevented the tragedy. The building was authorized for use in 1985, when it was only legally mandated to install sprinklers to buildings that were 11 floors or higher.

Current law requires sprinklers for accommodation facilities with at least 600 square meters between all the floors, but the law is not retroactively applied to buildings previously authorized. As such, several older hotels, motels and inns across the country still lack such mitigation systems.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)