GANGNEUNG, South Korea– A court sentenced a 60-year-old man to 12 years in prison Thursday for starting a fire that left more than 4,000 hectares of woodland on the east coast devastated in March.
The man, surnamed Lee, allegedly set fire to a forest in the east coastal city of Gangneung, 168 kilometers east of Seoul, in the early morning on March 5, as well as his home, empty houses and warehouses there.
Driven by strong winds and a dry spell, the blaze spread rapidly, burning six houses and 1,455 ha of woodland in Gangneung, on top of 74 houses and 2,735 ha of forestland devastated in the nearby city of Donghae.
It remains one of the most devastating wildfires on record in South Korea, with the combined damages reaching nearly 40 billion won (US$31.8 million).
Investigations blamed Lee’s accumulated animosity toward neighbors and paranoia reinforced by reclusion for the arson offence.
“Victims sustained massive damages without knowing the reason, and the damages still remain,” the court said, delivering the prison sentence on charges of violating the Forest Protection Act.
Source: Yonhap News Agency