The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 23rd that it has requested a prompt verification of facts from the Chinese side regarding unidentified overseas mail items delivered nationwide.
In a text message distributed to the press corps on the same day, the Ministry stated, "Regarding the overseas mail items that have recently caused public concern, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested cooperation from relevant parties for fact-finding and providing related explanations."
The Ministry referred to the announcement by Taiwan that the mail items were initially sent from China, passed through Taiwan, and finally arrived in Korea, saying, "Through our diplomatic missions in the Chinese region, we have contacted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant authorities, and the local government to request a prompt verification of facts and explanations," adding, "The Chinese side has informed us of their intention to cooperate to the fullest extent with our request."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it will also identify and refer to similar cases and responses that have occurred in other countries such as Canada and the United States.
Meanwhile, starting with the discovery of a suspicious package suspected to contain a gaseous poison at a welfare facility for the disabled in Ulsan on the 20th, reports of suspicious overseas mail deliveries have continued nationwide over the past few days.
According to the National Police Agency, as of 5 p.m. on the same day, there have been 2,058 emergency calls nationwide reporting suspicious packages delivered from places including Taiwan. Among these, 645 cases have been collected, and 1,413 were false alarms or consultations.
The government is placing significant weight on the possibility that the unidentified international mail items found nationwide are related to a "Brushing Scam" (a method where unordered items are sent to random recipients who then post product reviews pretending to be the recipients), but is also preparing for the possibility of terrorism or other threats.
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