A British man was apprehended in Seoul, South Korea, after climbing more than half of the fifth-tallest skyscraper in the world using only his bare hands, according to the Associated Press (AP).
South Korean media reportedly identified George King-Thompson as the climber who attempted to climb the 1,820-foot high Lotte World Tower with only his hands. Authorities apprehended King-Thompson at the 72nd floor, which is about 1,020 feet off the ground, according to AP. More than 90 police and emergency personnel responded after he was spotted scaling the tower Monday.
The climber was found carrying a parachute with the plan to BASE jump from the building once he reached the top, the outlet reported, citing a statement from the Seoul fire agency. (RELATED: 3 Climbers Disappear After Allegedly Falling On Notoriously Dangerous Section Of Mount Everest)
A British man was arrested in South Korea on Monday after he attempted to climb the country’s tallest skyscraper — the fifth highest in the world — without equipment, police saidhttps://t.co/r7xcptBHpx pic.twitter.com/9J49ksFLsW
— Channels Television (@channelstv) June 12, 2023
King-Thompson was previously arrested in 2019 when he climbed the Shard in London (1,017 feet high) and the owners accused him of trespassing. He also climbed London’s 36-story Stratosphere Tower in 2021 and reached the top in less than 30 minutes in an attempt to bring awareness to climate change after the heavy rains hit the area, according to AP.
The climber suffered no injuries besides a small cut on his right knee, the outlet reported, citing the fire agency. Police eventually released him and he left South Korea.