Man ordered to pay full damages for wasting police resources with fake bomb threat

A man in his 20s was recently ordered to pay $9,136 in damages for wasting police resources with a hoax bomb threat targeting a Seoul department store, according to police in South Korea. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the man must cover all costs incurred by Seoul police, including personnel expenses, overtime allowances, fuel costs, and meal expenses.

This marks the first instance of a court recognizing a claim for full compensation of public safety costs wasted due to an online threat, as reported by the police. The incident occurred in August 2025 when the man posted the threat on YouTube, claiming he would bomb Shinsegae Department Store. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) deployed 277 personnel to increase patrols around the department store area.

The suspect was later tracked down and arrested in Hadong, a city located approximately 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul. An SMPA official emphasized that the agency will "strictly punish those who threaten public safety and hold them accountable to the end for any damage caused by their actions."