Asia

SKorean police say man burns late dictator's home

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A protester wearing a mask of South Korean President Park Geun-hye performs during a rally calling for Park to step down in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. South Korean President Park Geun-hye's conditional resignation offer appears to be causing cracks in what previously had been a strong push for her impeachment, with opponents now struggling to set a date for a vote to strip her of power. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) (The Associated Press)

South Korean firefighters investigate the birthplace of late military dictator Park Chung-hee, the father of current President Park Geun-hye, which was burned by a fire in Gumi, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. South Korean police say they have detained a man suspected of setting fire to the birthplace. It comes as Park Geun-hye faces a push in parliament to impeach her over allegations that she allowed a confidante to pull government strings and extort businesses. (Park Sun-ki/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT (The Associated Press)

South Korean firefighters try to extinguish the birthplace of late military dictator Park Chung-hee, the father of current President Park Geun-hye, in Gumi, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. South Korean police say they have detained a man suspected of setting fire to the birthplace. It comes as Park Geun-hye faces a push in parliament to impeach her over allegations that she allowed a confidante to pull government strings and extort businesses. (Park Sun-ki/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT (The Associated Press)

South Korean police say they have detained a man suspected of setting fire to the birthplace of late military dictator Park Chung-hee, the father of current President Park Geun-hye.

The fire Thursday happened in the southern city of Gumi. It comes as Park Geun-hye faces a push in parliament to impeach her over allegations that she allowed a confidante to pull government strings and extort businesses.

Millions of people have protested against Park over the last month.

Police in Gumi say that at least one of the buildings at the home, which is now a tourist site, was seriously damaged.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency says that the hall that houses an altar of the senior Park and his late wife was completely burned down.