Man dies after setting himself on fire

  A 40-year-old man died Wednesday, a day after setting himself on fire following a protest demanding the resignation of President Park Geun-hye, police said.

   The man, identified only by his surname Lee, set himself ablaze on an overpass in front of Seoul Station around 5:35 p.m. Tuesday after staging a brief protest where he hung placards demanding Park's resignation and an independent counsel probe into the election meddling scandal.

   Lee was immediately taken to the hospital but died around 7:55 a.m. Wednesday.

   Police said Lee had worked at a convenience store in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Family members told police that Lee recently had a hard time due to demands for debt repayment.

   "It is true that the deceased has become a credit delinquent after taking out a 30 million won (US$28,708) loan to help with his brother's business, but statements from family members are incongruous about whether the debt affected the suicide," a police official said. "We are trying to determine the exact motivation." (Yonhap News)