Arrest warrant sought for Chinese attacker of Japanese Embassy in Seoul

A judge issued an arrest warrant for a Chinese man Tuesday on charges of throwing firebombs at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.

The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for the 38-year-old man, surnamed Liu, for allegedly attacking the embassy in Seoul on Jan. 8 in protest of Japan's refusal to formally apologize for its war crimes.

"He has no fixed address in South Korea and is considered a flight risk," the court said in a statement explaining the warrant issue.

The warrant allows local police to detain him for further interrogation.

Liu was immediately taken into police custody after he hurled four hand-made firebombs at the wall of the Japanese Embassy in downtown Seoul at around 8:18 a.m. on Sunday.

No property damage or human injuries were reported following the attack, but the assault left minor scorch marks on the embassy wall.

The Chinese man from Guangzhou, who came to South Korea on a tourist visa, said he launched the attack because "Japan holds an irresponsible attitude toward the sex slavery issue."

He claimed his maternal Korean grandmother was forced to serve as sex slave for Japanese soldiers during the war.

Sex slaves, euphemistically called "comfort women," remain one of the most controversial diplomatic issues between Japan and South Korea, as Japan has refused to admit to and apologize for the wartime crimes.

The man also claimed that he set fire on Dec. 26 to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine where Japanese war criminals are enshrined. Police in Seoul have yet to confirm Liu's claim. (Yonhap News)