A man in his 30s has been apprehended after setting his acquaintance’s store on fire for not cooperating with his request to give a false account on an act of violence in his favor, police said.

It is believed that around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect sprayed chemicals on his club member’s motorcycle just outside his store and put a match to it. The fire which started from the motorcycle spread to damage three other motorcycles and the outer wall of the shop causing approximately 47 million won in damage.

Judging from a paint thinner container thrown away near the site and the analysis of CCTV, the police concluded the fire to be from arson and arrested the man in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province on Thursday.

The police explained that the suspect vindictively committed the crime after his fellow club member refused to give a false statement that “the suspect also had been hit” on his act of violence.

The victim, the fellow club member, is known to have witnessed the account.

In the past, the man had been put to shame when it was revealed by the victim that he had stolen a motorcycle from the club.

The police plans to request an arrest warrant for the suspect.

By Ahn Sang-yool (koolsangon@heraldcorp.com)