A middle school student who posted a threat claiming to have installed explosives at the Shinsegae Department Store in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, was apprehended in Jeju.
On the 6th, the Jeju Western Police Agency announced that they are investigating A, a first-year male middle school student, on charges of public intimidation under the Penal Code.
A is suspected of having posted a message on the DC Inside 'Synthetic Gallery' at around 12:36 p.m. the previous day, claiming to have installed explosives, with the title 'Shinsegae Department Store bombing notice,' and hinting at a terrorist act.
A posted, "Do not go to Shinsegae Department Store today," and claimed, "I really installed explosives on the first floor here yesterday. It will explode at 3 p.m. today."
As a result of this post, an emergency evacuation involving around 4,000 staff and customers of Shinsegae Department Store took place outside the department store. Following this, 242 members of the police special forces were deployed to search various areas of the department store for about an hour and a half.
A was apprehended at around 7 p.m. on the 5th, approximately six hours after posting the message, at his home in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City.
Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident concerning A.