Incheon Sees Series of 'Murder Threats and Weapon Rampages' Posts... Armored Vehicles Deployed at Rock Festival Site

Threatening posts predicting murder are continuously being uploaded online in Incheon. In particular, a post threatening to carry out a stabbing rampage at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, where a large crowd is expected, has prompted police to track the suspect.

According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency on the 6th, a threatening post saying, "These days, stabbing rampages are trending, so maybe I'll visit Songdo Dalbit Festival Park," was posted on an internet community the previous morning.

Following a report from a netizen who saw the post, the police began tracking the author and deployed six special forces members, an armored vehicle, and 20 riot police around Songdo Dalbit Festival Park in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, where the festival is being held, to prepare for any emergency.

The Pentaport Rock Festival, which opened on the 4th, continues until the 6th, with the organizers estimating that 150,000 spectators will attend.

On the 5th, a post stating an intention to carry out a stabbing rampage at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival venue was uploaded online, prompting the police to deploy additional armored vehicles and special forces.
[Photo by Yonhap News Agency, provided by a reader]

Also on the same day, a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, was arrested and is under investigation on charges of making threats. Mr. A is suspected of posting a threatening message on an internet community at around 9:49 a.m., stating, "Tonight at 10 p.m., I will kill 10 women on Bupyeong Rodeo Street in Incheon."

After receiving the report, the police tracked the internet protocol (IP) address and urgently arrested Mr. A at his home in Incheon around 1 p.m. During the police investigation, Mr. A stated, "I did not actually intend to kill anyone," and explained that he was curious about the comments the post would receive and wanted to attract attention. The police plan to apply for an arrest warrant after further investigation.

Later that afternoon, another internet post threatening to "kill more than 20 people at Gyeyang Station in Gyeyang-gu" was uploaded, prompting police and related agencies to respond. The Incheon Transit Corporation conducted joint inspections in teams of three at Gyeyang Station and strengthened patrols at all stations on Incheon Subway Line 1, initiating emergency duty. Thirty-six police officers were also deployed at Gyeyang Station.

The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency has organized the Cyber Crime Investigation Unit into a special investigation team to swiftly apprehend those who post crime prediction messages and is maintaining a 24-hour response system.