South Korean indicted for attempted arson at Japan embassy

Seoul: A South Korean man was indicted Monday for attempted arson at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, presumably out of anger over a historical dispute between the two countries, prosecutors said.

The 57-year-old defendant is suspected of approaching the embassy with four bottles of "soju" (vodka-like, rice liquor with high potency) and a 1.5-litre plastic bottle filled with gasoline, as well as a lighter on September 5 before being caught by a police officer on guard, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor`s Office said.

Prosecutors said he planned to set the embassy building on fire as he was "disgusted by Japan`s shameless attitude regarding South Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II", Yonhap News Agency reported.