British man arrested after climbing skyscraper Seoul
A British man has been arrested in South Korea after he attempted to climb the country’s tallest skyscraper without equipment, police said.
The man was scaling the 123-storey Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul early on Monday when staff spotted him, forcing him to stop his ascent as he reached the 73rd floor
South Korean media reports identified the man as free climber George King-Thompson.
The reports said he was carrying a parachute and told police that he wanted to BASE-jump from the top of the building.
Fire and police authorities didn’t immediately confirm the man’s name or his motive.
King-Thompson was arrested in 2019 after scaling the Shard in London, the U.K.’s tallest skyscraper at 310 meters (1,017 feet), after the owners of the building pressed charges against him for trespassing.
He was sentenced to six months in prison and served three.
In 2021, he climbed the 36-story Stratosphere Tower, a residential block in east London’s Stratford neighborhood and reached the top in less than half an hour.
He said he picked the building because he was shocked by the flash floods that recently hit the area and wanted to raise awareness to the seriousness of climate change.
Police confirmed they took custody of the man but didn’t provide further details.
Lotte officials said the man didn’t suffer any major injuries. The fire agency statement revealed he suffered a cut on his skin on the right knee.
