A recent online story claiming that a father suffered burns from a firework shot by someone while taking an evening walk at Gangmun Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, has been proven to be false.

Gangneung Police Station announced on November 2 that they are investigating an individual in their 20s residing in Incheon, identified as A, on charges including defamation.

Previously on October 24, a post was uploaded on social media claiming that while walking with his father at Gangmun Beach, his father was hit by a firework fired horizontally by a group of men, resulting in second-degree burns on his hand and fingers.

A claimed that he reported the incident to the police on the day it occurred, but was told that it would be difficult to catch the culprits because their identities could not be verified.

In response, the police stated on October 27 that there was no record of receiving a report regarding this incident, and Gangneung City also stated that no civil complaints had been filed.

However, a few days after the incident, the police obtained a tip presumed to be similar to this case through a third party and continued investigating whether the tip was true and whether an actual incident had occurred.

Subsequent police investigations revealed that A, who made the claims, was actually in Incheon, not Gangneung, at the time of the incident.

Investigations also showed that the firework video and injury photos submitted as tips by A were not taken by A personally.

The police summoned A to verify the facts and are currently investigating whether illegal acts such as defamation were committed through the dissemination of false information.

A police official stated that they will continue to respond strictly to the spread of false information that causes social distrust.

(File Photo: Yonhap News)