SEOUL - A Buddhist monk has been arrested for driving into eight parked cars and causing damage, the police said on Nov 29.

The monk was reported to have been acting out of frustration over a land compensation dispute between him and real estate developers.

The unidentified monk in his 70s, from a temple located in Songha-dong, Gwangju, got into an argument with officials from the developer around 8.20am local time on Nov 28. The development project involves land on which his temple is located.

The monk got in his car, allegedly saying he would file a complaint to the company and then drove into eight parked cars in an alleyway, ramming into them one after the other. His children reported him to the police, who arrived on the scene to arrest the suspect.

While many Buddhist monks are unmarried, some orders of the religion in Korea allow marriage. It is unclear which order this particular monk belongs to. The Criminal Act states that the police can arrest a person caught in the act of a crime without a warrant.

Tests showed no traces of drug or alcohol.

The police are investigating what motivated his actions. They plan to charge him with special destruction and damage of property. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK