Prank Threat to 'Blow Up Shinewave' Ends in 12 Million Won Bill Covering Police Meal Expenses

A man in his 20s who posted a threat online to blow up a Shinsegae department store has been ordered to pay approximately 12 million won to the government.

This marks the first time a court has ruled that the full cost of public security administration wasted by a false threat must be compensated.

On August 28, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a damage suit filed by the state against a man in his 20s, identified as A, ordering him to "pay the entire 12.56 million won in state losses incurred by the police dispatch."

The compensation recognized in this ruling includes not only the labor costs and overtime allowances of the police officers deployed to the scene at the time, but also vehicle fuel costs and meal expenses.

In August of last year, A left a comment on a YouTube video saying, "I am going to blow up the Shinsegae Department Store." Upon receiving the report, the police urgently deployed 277 patrol officers to Shinsegae department stores nationwide.

The police subsequently tracked down the suspect and arrested A in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province.

The police stated, "Even a single threatening post uploaded as a prank wastes massive public security resources, and those costs are borne by taxpayers' money," adding that they will continue to hold individuals strictly accountable under a zero-tolerance policy for both civil and criminal liabilities regarding public threats.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.