"The voice saying 'I planted explosives'... 11 bomb threats in one day"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On the afternoon of the 12th around 6 p.m., a report was received by the police that an explosive device had been installed at Apartment A in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, where the ground access for delivery vehicles had been blocked, causing controversy. The caller said, "There are about 10 butane gas canisters in the underground parking lot of the apartment in Godeok-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, and it seems like they will explode." Police personnel, eight fire trucks, and 27 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. However, after three rounds of searches over three hours, no explosive device was found.
On the same day around 8:30 p.m. in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, a report was received saying, "An explosive device has been installed at a sports center; please check." The caller was a man in his 20s, Mr. B, who had a history of repeatedly filing minor complaints. The police went to the goshiwon (a small, inexpensive lodging) where he lived and arrested him on the spot. During the police investigation, Mr. B stated, "I did it because the police usually did not properly accept my complaints."
On the afternoon of October 20 last year, a report was received about a bag suspected to contain explosives near the National Assembly Library in Yeouido, Seoul, prompting the police special forces bomb disposal unit to rush to the scene. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Cases of false reports claiming "an explosive device has been installed" are occurring one after another. If a false report is made, under current criminal law, it can be punished by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 10 million won for obstruction of official duties by deception. Additionally, there may be liability for damages. Nevertheless, on the 12th of this month in Suwon, a man in his 20s who falsely reported to 112 that an explosive device had been installed at a sports center was caught, and in January, a high school student who sent a threatening text message to the police saying, "I will blow up the National Assembly building in Yeouido," was also apprehended by the police.
When a report is received, the police and fire authorities must dispatch personnel to the scene to check for the presence of explosives. Many personnel must be deployed to evacuate citizens to a safe place. When a false report is received, the deployment of police and fire personnel creates a gap, making it difficult to respond properly to crimes or fire incidents occurring at the same time. In November last year, during a false bomb threat at the ASEM Tower in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, about 150 military, police special forces, and fire personnel were deployed. At that time, about 4,000 office workers in the building were hurriedly evacuated, causing a commotion.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of false reports increased from 2,927 cases in 2015 to 4,503 cases in 2016 and has recorded over 4,000 cases annually since then. Last year, there were 4,063 cases, averaging 11 cases per day. However, most punishments are fines. Last year, 2,567 people were fined, and only 22 were detained. Experts emphasize strengthening punishment and preventive measures. Professor Kim Do-woo of the Department of Police Science at Gyeongnam National University explained, "False reports continue because they are seen as minor deviations rather than crimes, and the punishment is weak compared to the psychological satisfaction gained from them. There is also a high possibility of copycat crimes or recidivism, so efforts to treat them as serious crimes and eradicate them are necessary."
Professor Gong Jeong-sik of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University said, "False reports are an expression of emotions like dissatisfaction in an aggressive form and appear across all age groups from teenagers to people in their 20s. It is also important to conduct education and campaigns to raise awareness that such acts are crimes to prevent them."
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