"Never Open, Report Immediately" Unidentified International Mail Distributed Nationwide

Found in Daejeon, Ulsan, and Haman

On the 20th, following an incident in Ulsan where employees at a facility for the disabled experienced respiratory distress and paralysis after opening a package from overseas, suspicious international mail reports were also received from Jeju, Daejeon, Haman, and Yongin, prompting police investigations.

According to Jeju Police Agency on the 21st, at around 8:50 PM on the 20th, a report was received stating, "I received a package similar to one that arrived at a welfare facility in Ulsan a few days ago."

Parcels reported in Jeju City [Photo by Yonhap News]

The reporter, Mr. A, a resident of Jeju City, stated that he found the package in his mailbox on the 11th but, realizing it was an item he did not order, immediately threw it in the trash. After seeing media reports that three employees in Ulsan experienced dizziness after opening a package sent from Taiwan, he retrieved the package and reported it to the police.

The suspicious package was confirmed to have been sent from Taiwan, just like the one delivered to Ulsan, and was contained in a yellow envelope. Inside the package were two tube-shaped containers, presumed to be cosmetics, sealed in a transparent zipper bag.

Mr. A's health condition was reported as good with no abnormalities.

Jeju Island and Jeju Police examined the zipper bag without opening it for explosives, radiation, chemicals, and biochemical substances, all of which tested negative or were undetected. A police official stated that a detailed examination of the mail has been requested from the Defense Science Research Institute, and investigations will proceed once the results are available.

Suspicious Mail Reports from Homes and Restaurants in Daejeon

In Daejeon, at 11:18 AM on the 21st, a report was received about an unidentified international mail item found in a mailbox at a residence in Jusandong, Dong-gu.

The sender of the mail reported in Daejeon was confirmed to be Taiwan, and the mail, wrapped in transparent plastic packaging, contained an item presumed to be lip balm. Fire authorities established a control line and sent the mail to the National Forensic Service for inspection.

Mail reported at a restaurant in Chudong, Dong-gu, Daejeon
Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, next door to the reporter’s residence, a mail item sent from Uzbekistan was found and is being kept separately until the recipient arrives. Around the same time, a report was also received about suspicious international mail at a restaurant in Chudong, Dong-gu, Daejeon, which is currently under investigation.

Dong-gu, Daejeon, sent disaster alert messages at 1:21 PM and 2:00 PM on the same day, advising, "Do not open overseas mail suspected to contain harmful substances sent from Taiwan. Please report immediately to 112 or 119."

Suspicious Package from Malaysia Reported in Haman, Gyeongnam

In Haman County, Gyeongnam Province, Mr. B, CEO of a construction company located in Chilwon-eup, reported to the police at 8:58 AM on the 21st that he was storing a suspicious overseas mail item in his office. After seeing news reports about a suspected poison package the previous day, Mr. B visited the Chilwon Police Substation that morning to report the unidentified overseas mail item, which had been stored in his office for about two months and had no known recipient.

The police, in cooperation with fire and military authorities, moved the mail to Chilwon Public Stadium and opened it, finding a blue paper folded into the shape of a fishing hook inside the envelope. First and second rounds of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) quick tests on the mail revealed no abnormalities, and no issues were found with the paper either.

The mail reported in Haman County was contained in a white envelope and confirmed to have been sent from Malaysia.

Military and police dispatched to Haman County, Gyeongnam to check a package [Photo by Yonhap News]

Suspicious Mail Found at a Factory in Yongin, Gyeonggi

In Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, at around 11 AM, a factory official in Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, reported to the police that a suspicious international mail item was found at the factory. The mail was wrapped in a black plastic bag, and although the address on it was that of the factory, the recipient's name was a foreign name unrelated to the factory. The initial reporter opened the envelope but found no contents inside.

The police, based on the postmark on the mail, suspect it was sent from Taiwan. A detailed inspection was conducted considering the possibility of gas or other substances in the envelope, but no notable abnormalities were found.

The reporter has shown no health issues so far and will be monitored going forward.

Earlier, at 12:29 PM on the 20th, three people including the director and staff at a welfare facility for the disabled in Seobu-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan, were transported to the hospital after experiencing dizziness and respiratory difficulties following the opening of a yellow package presumed to be an international mail item from Taiwan.

As reports of similar packages being delivered nationwide continue, a police official urged, "If you receive international mail you did not order, do not open it and report it immediately."