This incident began with the irrational behavior of Mr. A, a man in his 70s who owned the hotel. According to the police investigation and the circumstances at the scene, Mr. A, who was intoxicated, purchased gasoline directly from a nearby gas station, returned to the hotel, and sprayed flammable substances throughout the building, including the lobby, parking lot, and elevator. During this process, Mr. A's wife and son were seen violently trying to stop him, but Mr. A, who was already out of control, ignited the fire and in the process, his family members got involved and suffered burns. Mr. A suffered second-degree burns all over his body and is currently being treated at a burn hospital in Daejeon. His wife and son, who were also trying to stop him, are also suffering from serious burns on their arms and legs. Why he had to make such an extreme choice despite his family's dissuasion, and the fundamental motive for the crime, will be revealed through an in-depth police investigation once Mr. A's treatment is completed.

At the time of the fire, 45 guests were staying in 30 of the 36 rooms in the hotel. The scene turned into chaos, with guests surprised by the sudden fire alarm and smoke in the early morning hours hurriedly evacuating in their pajamas. It was a very dangerous moment when dozens of innocent citizens could have lost their lives if the sprinklers had not worked properly or had failed to extinguish the fire in the early stages. In fact, the fire caused property damage, including charring the walls of the hotel's first floor lobby and part of the elevator, but fortunately, all guests were able to evacuate on their own and avoided casualties, which was nothing short of a miracle. This is an example that once again proves how important fire safety equipment is for multi-use facilities and why facility inspections in accordance with laws and regulations must be thorough.

Meanwhile, this incident is strangely overlapping with the recent case in which a man in his 70s was sentenced to three years in prison for setting fire to the house above him due to a misunderstanding over noise between floors, raising social awareness. Both incidents have something in common in that the elderly man was unable to control his emotions and chose the extreme measure of arson. Arson is a serious crime that goes beyond simple destruction of property and directly threatens public safety. It has the destructive power to take the lives of others. In particular, in the case of this hotel arson incident, the owner's crime is considered very serious in that he injured his family and put guests in danger. There is deep concern that the way we resolve social conflicts and personal complaints reflects the pathological phenomenon of our society, which is becoming increasingly violent and destructive.

This incident makes us reflect on the responsibility of a commercial space called a hotel and the moral obligations of its owners. In contrast, on the same day, news broke in Banghwa-dong, Seoul that KB Asset Management had carried out social contribution activities for coexistence, such as replacing signboards and supporting safety kits for small and medium-sized business owners, adding to the bitterness. Although the place name is the same, there is a stark contrast between the image of a company practicing the original meaning of the word 'arson (防火, preventing fire)' and the image of an individual who committed the crime of 'arson (放火, starting a fire)'. This reality, where the place where one lives one's life becomes a safe resting place for some and an object of anger for others, poses a heavy homework on how we should resolve conflicts and take care of each other within the community.