'Prediction of Murder' 30 Arrested... National Police Chief "Waste of Police Resources, Should Be Refrained"

30 Murder Threat Authors Arrested as of 7 PM
"Indiscriminate Posts Driven by Hero Complex Cause Social Harm"

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, criticized that police resources are being wasted tracking and arresting authors of the nationwide series of 'murder threat posts' on the 5th, and asked people to refrain from writing such posts.

After inspecting the 'special security operations' site at Jamsil Station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the same day, Commissioner Yoon told reporters, "I sincerely ask and warn you to refrain from irresponsibly writing murder threat posts," adding, "How many citizens are worried and how much police resources are being wasted because of these posts? It is a social loss."

On the afternoon of the 5th, Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, inspects the site of a 'special security operation' at Jamsil Station in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Regarding the reason for the continuous murder threat posts, he analyzed it as a 'hero complex.' Commissioner Yoon said, "Most of the authors are adults, but it has been confirmed that some minors are among them," and added, "I think it might be imitation or a kind of hero complex."

On concerns that a tough response to violent offenders such as those wielding weapons might lead to legal disputes, he said, "I fully agree," and promised to come up with a solution.

He stated, "It is true that the police hesitate and are reluctant to use firearms," and added, "I think this is an opportunity to comprehensively reexamine the use of firearms."

According to the police, since the stabbing incident near Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on the 21st of last month, at least 42 murder threat posts have been uploaded online. Although the police have not officially confirmed it, it is reported that dozens more murder threat posts have been posted since then.

In Hanam City, Gyeonggi Province, a middle school student A (14) was arrested by the police yesterday after writing a post saying, "I will commit a murder crime around Misa Station." On the same day, a minor who posted a threat of a stabbing rampage in the Haeundae area of Busan was caught by the police at home.

Also, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsan Police Station tracked down and arrested a man in his 20s, B, who threatened a stabbing through an anonymous community of Daegu University located in Gyeongnam, within 5 hours. The Gumi Police Station in Gyeongsangbuk-do urgently arrested a teenage minor early this morning who wrote on an internet community, "Next is a stabbing at Gumi Station."

As of 7 p.m. on the same day, the police have arrested 30 authors and are investigating the circumstances and criminal charges. IP tracking of the remaining posts is also ongoing. It is reported that several of the arrested suspects are minors, including middle school students.