A South Korean man apparently disgruntled with government compensation policy for his evacuated residence set himself on fire early Thursday morning following a candlelight rally in Seoul against planned U.S. beef imports, police and witnesses said.
The 56-year-old, only identified by his surname, Kim, remains in critical condition with severe burns to several areas of his body, according to officials at the Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital.
Witnesses said Kim doused himself with an inflammable liquid and used a lighter to torch himself at around 2:40 a.m. in central Seoul after a rally against South Korea's recent decision to resume U.S. beef imports ended.
The police -- who estimated about 8,000 people gathered to protest the April agreement to open the market despite lingering fears over mad cow disease -- said the man called up authorities and handed his identity card to protesters minutes ahead of his act.
Witnesses, including a 17-year-old high school student, said they took out their bottled water to put out the blaze, while several of them suffered minor injuries in the incident that took place in front of the city hall.
Kim had joined the almost daily protests for the previous several days, according to one witness, as candlelight rallies continue in South Korea, turning into street protests that increasingly come to a violent end with riot police blocking their march on the presidential complex.
Kim, a daily wage worker, has complained of not being able to win financial compensation from the government after he evacuated his home in Seoul to help clear the way for a re-development project, the police said, adding they were looking into other possible motives.
Source:Xinhua
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