A report was received stating that explosives had been planted in a department store in Gwangju, prompting police to conduct an emergency search, which revealed that no explosives were found at the Shinsegae department store in Gwangju, allowing it to resume normal operations. The police search at the Lotte department store in Gwangju has also concluded.
According to police and Shinsegae department store on the 11th, around 9:30 a.m. that day, a report was received by the Mapo Police Station and the National Human Rights Commission stating, 'I will blow up Lotte department store in Gwangju.' The specific timing of the explosion was not specified.
Gwangju police deployed special forces and explosive ordnance disposal teams to the Lotte department store in Gwangju (Dong-gu) and the Shinsegae department store in Gwangju (Seo-gu), restricting access and conducting searches from 9:40 a.m. There were no customers at the two department stores at the time of the search as they were not yet open, with only employees evacuated.
Officials from the Dong-gu Office and Seo-gu Office, the respective district offices, also arrived at the scene to monitor the search situation and implemented emergency responses.
As a result of the search, no explosives were found at the Shinsegae department store in Gwangju, leading police to withdraw. The Shinsegae department store officially opened at 11:46 a.m. that day, approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes later than the usual opening time.
Following this, the police search at the Lotte department store in Gwangju also concluded, and it opened normally at 12:16 p.m. that day.
Earlier, on the 5th, a threatening message claiming that explosives had been planted at the Shinsegae department store main branch in Seoul caused an evacuation of over 4,000 people. The middle school student who posted the message was arrested in Jeju and is currently under investigation.