Seoul (CNN) A man in his seventies has died after self-immolating inside his car in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, authorities in the South Korean capital said Friday.

According to a statement from the local Jongno Fire Station, "it is presumed that the man, using 20 liters of gasoline and butane gas in the car, tried to set himself on fire."

The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday morning, at 3:24 a.m. The man succumbed to his injuries in hospital several hours later, after suffering extensive second-degree burns to his chest, arm and face.

The man's motive is not yet known.

The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Japan and South Korea over a series of disputes, including a widening trade row and spat stemming from colonial-era reparations.

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