Citizens in 'Confusion' Amid Knife Attack Fears, Murder Threats, and Fake News

Fake News Spreading Through Communities and SNS
Police Take Strict Action Against Crime Threat Posts and Fake News

Amid rising public anxiety due to consecutive stabbing incidents in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and near Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, confusion is intensifying as fake news about another weapon rampage incident spreads online.

On the 4th, posts circulated on online communities and social networking services (SNS) claiming that at 11:22 a.m. that day, a drunken man in his 40s threatened passersby with a weapon at the Naeson-myeon intercity bus terminal in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, resulting in 36 victims: 13 seriously injured, 16 minor injuries, and 7 unconscious, and that 12 buses were completely burned down.

However, there is no area called Naeson-myeon in Pocheon-si, and the similarly named 'Naechon-myeon' does not have a bus terminal. Neither the fire department nor the police have received any related reports.

On the same day, a similar post spread in Daegu. It claimed that around 3 a.m. on the 3rd, a suspect who had an argument with a part-time worker at a PC room in Daegu injured the worker with a knife and fled.

This was also revealed to be fake news. The Daegu Police Agency stated that the 'Daegu PC room stabbing' posts circulating on online communities were false and warned, "Spreading inaccurate information that causes public anxiety can be subject to legal punishment."

Recently, a series of weapon rampage incidents in the heart of the city have increased citizens' fear. Adding to this, posts threatening murder have been repeatedly posted online from various locations nationwide, including Sillim-dong and Gangnam Station in Seoul, Uijeongbu-si in Gyeonggi Province, and Seomyeon Station in Busan, further heightening public anxiety.

The police have announced a strict response policy toward threatening posts about weapon rampages and fake news.

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, who declared the "Special Crime Prevention Activity for Weapon Rampage Crimes," said, "We will respond strongly without exception to irresponsible and reckless cyber announcements of heinous crimes and baseless fake news," adding, "We will concentrate all investigative capabilities to quickly identify and arrest the posters and punish them as severely as the law allows."