Japanese police Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old Korean man suspected of having triggered a small explosion in a restroom at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo last month, according to Japanese reports.
The man, identified by his surname Jeon, denies the charges, reports said. Jeon was arrested on charges of “intruding in the shrine without a valid reason” as soon as he landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on the day.
Seoul’s Foreign Ministry sent a consul to meet him and provide any necessary government aid.
The explosion occurred in the restroom on Oct. 23, two days after Jeon flew to Japan from Korea. No one was injured. After analyzing surveillance camera footage, police found that he was moving around near the restroom at the time of the explosion.
The same day the explosion occurred, Jeon returned to Korea. Reports said Jeon flew back to Japan on Wednesday and was soon arrested. The reason for his travel was not made known.
The controversial shrine, considered a symbol of Japan’s past imperialism, honors Japanese war dead, including 14 class-A criminals from World War II.
By Song Sang-ho (
sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
