Police: "Murder Threat Posts Are Serious and Grave Crimes... Cyber Investigation Unit Fully Mobilized"

Recently, as posts threatening to commit murder in crowded places have been repeatedly uploaded on the internet, the police have decided to mobilize the entire Cyber Investigation Unit to track down the authors.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, police SWAT team members were deployed to the scene near Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, where a random stabbing incident occurred.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 4th, a representative from the Cyber Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "We will swiftly track and apprehend the authors by mobilizing all 13 teams of the Seoul Cyber Investigation Unit regarding the murder threat posts." Furthermore, they explained, "Writing posts that threaten murder is a serious and grave crime that induces fear among the entire nation," adding, "We will respond strongly and impose strict criminal penalties."

Following a random stabbing incident at Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province the previous day, numerous murder threat posts have been flooding online communities. According to the police, at least 15 threatening posts were made nationwide after 6 p.m. the previous day. The authors designated locations such as Jamsil Station, Gangnam Station, Hanti Station, Yongsan, as well as Seohyeon Station, where the stabbing incident occurred, as planned crime sites. Most of these posts have since been deleted.

The police have so far apprehended two individuals who wrote murder threat posts and have sent one into custody. A man in his 20s, Lee Mo, who posted on an online community that he would kill 20 women at Sillim Station, was sent to the prosecution on charges of intimidation on the 2nd. It is known that during the police investigation, Lee stated, "I felt anger while reading posts related to the Sillim-dong incident on online communities."