Who was James Yoo married to? Conspiracy theorist's divorce scandal explored in wake of Arlington House fire 

On Monday, December 4, a conspiracy theorist named James Yoo reportedly succumbed to an explosion at his Arlington County residence in Virginia. According to NBC, Yoo allegedly shot several rounds of a flare gun inside his house, which prompted the police to serve a search warrant.

However, James Yoo did not respond to the requests for surrender, which prompted law enforcement to shoot irritants into the house, which eventually blew up. Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn told the press that, based on a preliminary investigation, James Yoo was involved in the explosion.

“The suspect was inside the residence at the time of the explosion, and he is presumed, at this point, to be deceased. Human remains have been located at the scene,” Penn stated.

As per NPR, three officers suffered minor injuries and no other people were hurt as the locality was evacuated by the first responders who were aware of the threat. However, the shockwaves of the explosion were felt for miles.

James Yoo had a history of making allegedly unsubstantial complaints against his former wife Stephanie Yoo, neighbors, as well as tenants accusing everyone of defrauding and violating his rights.

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All you need to know about James Yoo's divorce

The Washington Post reported that James Yoo was married to Stephanie Yoo. However, the couple got divorced in 2018, which he later tried to overturn. Two years later, he missed the court-ordered deadline for failing to share his assets with his ex-wife, getting him in legal trouble. In 2021, the Arlington County home was up for sale briefly, alongside another property in McLean, North Virginia.

However, according to the real estate agent Daniel Boris, James Yoo never allowed anyone inside his property, which is why it never got sold. Boris also called Yoo “hostile” and confirmed that he and his wife settled the divorce, permitting him ownership of the house.

Likewise, Yoo’s neighbors confirmed that the house had no-trespassing signs all around, and in the last five years he had been staying there (he owned it since 1992, as per NPR), they only came across him three to four times, always carrying a backpack. One neighbor even said that James Yoo kept his doors and windows covered with aluminum foil, blocking any view.

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Who was James Yoo?

James Yoo, the person whose parental house went up in fireballs at North Burlington Street in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday, was reportedly involved in the incident and may have died, according to multiple sources, including NBC. He was 56 years old at the time of the tragedy. So far, the cause of the explosion remains unknown and under investigation.

However, his neighbors, who described him as a recluse to the NBC also said that the previously meticulous James Yoo trashed the front yard of his house and tossed clothes out the second-story window hours before the explosion. They also added that before they could call for a welfare check, the explosion happened. Piled-up bags kept on his garage roof indicated that he may have wanted to move out, according to his neighbors’ statement to The Washington Post.

He was a conspiracy theorist who had previously encountered law enforcement, such as the FBI. Yoo considered himself an independent and often demanded that the FBI, CIA, and NSA be defunded. He also filed many battery and fraud lawsuits against his relatives, judges, doctors, and lawyers in New York and Virginia.

In the suits, he also mentioned himself as a former security specialist for telecommunications firms. He also had a history of debts, alcohol abuse, suicidal tendencies, and mental health issues according to The Washington Post.

Dave Sundberg, the assistant director of FBI’s Washington field office confirmed on Tuesday, December 5, that Yoo previously contacted the bureau “via phone calls, online tips, and letters over a number of years,” and complained about “alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him.”

Sundberg also mentioned that none of his past complaints ever led to any valid investigations. Meanwhile, the Arlington County Police Chief told the media that the department was aware of “concerning social media posts allegedly made by the suspect,” such as the one he posted the Friday before the incident on LinkedIn accusing his neighbors of espionage and planning his assassination.

Other posts included anti-USA material and calling his ex-wife a “witch.” As per NBC, since then, his LinkedIn and YouTube accounts have been deleted.

As per legal filings of Yoo obtained by The Washington Post, he identified himself as the son of an advisor to a South Korean presidential candidate father and a U.S.-based journalist mother who focused on covering Korean issues. He had a sister.