Newly released surveillance footage from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office reveals the terrifying moment a man set fire to a crowded subway train in South Korea’s capital last month.
The incident occurred on the morning of May 31 aboard a train on Seoul Subway Line 5. The video shows the suspect pouring flammable liquid on the carriage floor before igniting it, sending passengers scrambling for safety. In the chaotic footage, one commuter is seen slipping and falling just seconds before flames erupt. Smoke quickly fills the carriage and seeps into an adjoining car packed with commuters, prompting an urgent evacuation.
According to the prosecutors’ office, six people sustained injuries, though no fatalities were reported.
Authorities said the 67-year-old suspect meticulously prepared for the attack, allegedly motivated by delusional anger over a divorce court ruling. Investigators found that he had purchased gasoline in advance, disposed of his financial assets, and surveyed several major subway stations in Seoul the day before the fire.
The man has been formally indicted on charges of attempted murder and arson.
The attack is one of the most serious subway incidents in South Korea in recent years. The last major tragedy occurred in 2003, when an arson attack in Daegu claimed 192 lives, leading to sweeping reforms in subway safety nationwide.