[Newsmaker] S. Korean pastor arrested for setting fire on MacArthur statue

A court issued a warrant on Tuesday to arrest an anti-US South Korean pastor for lighting a fire on a statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the US-led UN troops during 1950-53 Korean War.

The Incheon District Court approved the arrest of the 61-year old pastor, citing concerns that the individual may try to flee. The suspect is in police custody.


 

A group of soldiers pays tribute to the late US Gen. Douglas MacArthur at Jayu Park in Incheon, west of Seoul, after laying wreaths at his statue on Sept. 15, 2017, the 67th anniversary of the 1950 landing by a MacArthur-led UN coalition in the port city that turned the tide of the 1950-53 Korean War. (Yonhap)

The pastor, whose name was withheld, is accused of setting a fire on the statue on Oct. 23 in a park in Incheon, a port city just west of Seoul. The pastor had also set it alight in July.

MacArthur is credited with the surprise Incheon amphibious operation that turned the tide of the war in favor of the UN troops by successfully cutting the North's supply and communication lines.

But some South Koreans are critical of the general.

About 28,500 American troops are currently stationed in South Korea to deter threats from North Korea. (Yonhap)