Tragedy struck in the southern Seoul district of Bongcheon-dong on the morning of April 21, 2025, when a man armed with a homemade flamethrower set a fire in a 21-story apartment building, killing two people, including the arsonist, and injuring 11 others. The incident, which sent shock waves through the South Korean capital, raised questions about the security measures in apartment buildings and the motives of the perpetrator.

According to local authorities, the fire started at about 8:17 a.m. on the fourth floor of an apartment complex in the Kwanak district. An unidentified man used a modified pesticide sprayer filled with flammable liquid to set the building on fire. Flames quickly engulfed the floor, and thick smoke spread throughout the building, making it difficult to evacuate. One of the residents jumped from a fourth-floor window to his death while trying to escape the flames. Eleven other people were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation and breathing problems. Two victims, women in their 11s and 70s, were taken to hospital in serious condition.

The arsonist, a man in his 60s, was found dead on the fourth floor where the fire started. Police confirmed that he was identified from fingerprints on his charred body. A suicide note and a will were found on him, indicating a possible suicidal motive. According to preliminary information, the man deliberately started the fire, not planning to survive. The exact reasons for his actions have not yet been established, but police are investigating, studying CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses.

The fire was contained within an hour thanks to the efforts of more than 200 firefighters and 40 units of equipment. However, the scale of the destruction and the loss of life shocked local residents. Videos from the scene published on social media showed plumes of black smoke billowing out of windows and panic among evacuated residents. Some were reported to have tried to escape by climbing down ladders or even jumping from windows before the firefighters arrived.

According to The Korea JoongAng Daily, the arsonist likely acted alone and his homemade device was an agricultural sprayer modified to spray flammable liquid. The publication notes that police are considering the man's personal problems, including possible financial difficulties or mental illness, as potential motives. Yonhap News Agency reports that the fire damaged several apartments, and the total amount of damage is still being assessed. At the same time, Reuters emphasizes that the incident is the latest in a series of tragedies related to fires in South Korea, which is increasing public demand for stricter fire safety measures.

The context of such incidents in South Korea is alarming. For example, the 2003 Daegu subway fire, started by a mentally unstable arsonist, killed 192 people, making it the country’s worst peacetime tragedy. As The New York Times notes, authorities promised to tighten fire safety regulations at the time, but such incidents continue to occur. In March 2025, forest fires in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province killed 28 people, also drawing attention to the problems of emergency response. In the case of the Seoul fire, experts interviewed by the Korea Herald point to the need for stricter inspections of residential buildings and restrictions on the sale of potentially dangerous devices such as agricultural sprayers.