Man caught 72 floors up while trying to climb South Korea’s Lotte World Tower
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The man was caught an hour after the report was filed, when he was resting on the exterior wall of the 72nd floor of the tower.
PHOTO: SONGPA FIRE DEPARTMENT
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SEOUL – A man was restrained 72 floors above the ground while trying to climb Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
A report was filed at 8am on Monday that a man was climbing the tower, one of the world’s five tallest skyscrapers, with his bare hands and without a rope, according to Songpa Fire Station officials.
The fire authorities dispatched 11 fire engines and 54 personnel. Fifteen police officers were also at the scene.
The man was caught an hour later when he was resting on the exterior wall of the 72nd floor of the tower. The firefighters used a gondola to reach him.
Police then took him into custody for questioning. The police were not immediately available for comment.
The man is reported to have tried to keep climbing even after the firefighters arrived at the scene at about 8.05am.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper identified the man as Englishman George King-Thompson.
The British media reported that he was arrested and jailed for climbing the Shard building in London in 2019.
In 2018, police arrested “French Spiderman” Alain Robert when he was more than halfway up the Lotte World Tower.
The Lotte tower is 555m tall, with a total of 125 storeys. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, REUTERS
