Police filed a damages suit of more than 10 million won against people in their 20s and others who caused a waste of police resources with online posts, including one threatening to blow up the main store of Shinsegae Department Store.
According to police on Jan. 8, the Korean National Police Agency sought 12,567,881 won in damages from a man in his 20s who left a comment on a YouTube post on Aug. 5 that read, "I will bomb Shinsegae at 5 p.m. tomorrow."
The Korean National Police Agency judged that, to prepare for a worst-case scenario at the time, it deployed a large number of police resources—from local police and riot police to the special attack unit and the cyber investigation unit—from intake to arrest, resulting in unnecessary tax waste.
The Korean National Police Agency also sought 55,051,212 won for the same reason from a man in his 20s who posted on an anonymous online community on Sept. 18 last year, saying, "On Monday at Yatap Station I will stab and kill 30 people."
The Korean National Police Agency said, "Public threats and false reports are not only serious crimes but acts that cause social losses," adding, "We will respond sternly by actively considering not only criminal punishment but also damage claims."