[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seong-yeol] Amid public anxiety over the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), four YouTubers were caught by the police for filming a hidden camera prank pretending a patient outbreak at a train station.
Daegu Dongbu Police Station announced on the 29th that four people, including Mr. A, filmed a hidden camera prank pretending a novel coronavirus patient outbreak from around 12 PM to 2 PM at Dongdaegu Station plaza and nearby subway station exits.
They filmed the hidden camera twice to observe citizens' reactions. Two members of the group wore white protective suits and chased another member pretending to be a patient, causing citizens to mistake it for a real situation and become anxious.
Additionally, the scene was posted on the social networking service (SNS) Facebook page "Daegu-neun Jigeum" ("Daegu Now"), which has over 210,000 subscribers, rapidly spreading misinformation online.
Police received two reports from citizens. Around 2:30 PM, the police arrived at the scene and apprehended Mr. A and the other three individuals.
During the police investigation, Mr. A and his group reportedly stated that they "wanted to raise awareness about the dangers of the novel coronavirus."
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