Man sets himself on fire after being dumped, faces punishment for arson

A man in his 60s, apparently enraged after being dumped, went to his ex-girlfriend's home and set himself on fire, local police said Friday.

Officials at the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said they are investigating the suspect for arson on a residential building at around 1:08 p.m. on Thursday. The suspect's former girlfriend was a resident of the building, and the fire was extinguished just five minutes after it broke out on the staircase and burned parts of the building.

The suspect, who was drunk at the time, went to his ex-girlfriend's residence and set himself on fire. He sustained second-degree burns to his face and abdomen and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

It was found that he committed the crime out of anger after his ex-girlfriend ended their romantic relationship. Police will conduct further investigation after the suspect's treatment.

Under Article 164 of the Criminal Act, setting fire to a building used for residence is punishable by at least three years imprisonment, if no injuries or deaths of other people have occurred. This punishment increases to five years imprisonment if an injury occurs, and seven years in jail if death occurs, in which case the maximum punishment is the death penalty.