Man ordered to pay full damages for wasting police resources with fake bomb threat
A court has ordered a man in his 20s to pay 12.56 million won ($9,136) in damages for wasting police resources last year by making a hoax bomb threat online targeting a Seoul department store, police said Wednesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), the Seoul Central District Court ordered the man on Friday to cover the full cost incurred by the Seoul police, including…
A Seoul court has ordered a man in his 20s to pay 12.56 million won ($9,136) in damages for wasting police resources by making a hoax bomb threat online targeting a Seoul department store in August 2025. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the man must cover all costs incurred by the Seoul police, including personnel expenses, overtime allowances, fuel costs, and meal expenses.
This is the first instance of a court recognizing a claim for full compensation of public security costs wasted due to an online threat. The man posted the threat on YouTube, claiming he would bomb the Shinsegae Department Store, prompting the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) to deploy 277 personnel to increase patrols around the area.
The suspect was later arrested in Hadong, a city 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul. An SMPA official emphasized that such threats to public safety will face strict punishment and accountability.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
