U.S. soldier questioned in suspected arson case

A U.S. soldier was questioned by police on suspicion of arson following a fire at a Seoul bar, stirring up recently settled tension after another U.S. soldier received a heavy sentence on Nov. 1 for raping a Korean woman.

Yongsan Police Station said Wednesday that a private first class of the U.S. Forces Korea is suspected of lighting the Itaewon bar on fire at 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to police reports, the soldier was drinking in the establishment but set the bar ablaze while intoxicated after being asked to leave because it was getting late.

Police secured CCTV footage that shows a suspect fleeing the scene, and used eyewitness reports to identify a soldier stationed at a U.S. military installation in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

Officials say the soldier confessed to the crime shortly after being apprehended.

Initial police reports said the fire spread to four buildings and caused an estimated 30 million won ($26,300) in damages. No casualties were reported.

The soldier was turned over for questioning to the Korean authorities according to the Status of Forces Agreement that governs the legal status of some 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in Korea.

Last month, two U.S. soldiers were accused of raping Korean women, one of whom received a 10-year sentence, which is one of the heaviest sentences ever dealt to a U.S. soldier here.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)