"Threatened to Blow Up Subway with Grenade"…50s Man Sentenced for False Report

First Trial Court Sentences 1 Year and 2 Months Imprisonment
"High Degree of Illegality and Bad Nature of Crime"

A man in his 50s who made multiple false reports to 112, including threats to blow up the subway while intoxicated, was sentenced to prison in the first trial.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, Judge Lee Yong-woo of Suwon District Court Criminal Division 6 recently sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 50s, to 1 year and 2 months in prison on charges of obstruction of official duties by deception.

Mr. A is accused of sending false reports to 112 five times between 1:20 p.m. and about 30 minutes on May 30, including messages such as "I have the ability to make grenades and can do it anytime," "I will blow up the merged subway lines 1 and 2 at 05:00," and "I will attack the police special forces." It is known that he committed these acts while intoxicated. Due to Mr. A’s reports, about 90 police officers from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Incheon Police Agency, which oversee subway lines 1 and 2 in the metropolitan area, rushed to the scene and conducted a search operation, causing a commotion.

Suwon Court Complex Photo by Yonhap News

Prior to this incident, Mr. A had a history of punishment for making false reports such as "I will commit murder," and even in June, shortly after the crime, he made another false report to 112 mentioning grenades again. Mr. A’s side claimed that he was in a state of diminished mental capacity due to intoxication at the time, but the court ruled that considering the circumstances and means leading to the crime, it could not be seen that he was in a state of diminished capacity to discern or decide his will at that time.

The court stated, "The defendant made false reports threatening to blow up or attack public facilities or government offices without any special reason, thereby obstructing the duties of public officials," and pointed out, "Considering the degree of disruption to official duties and the social costs incurred, the illegality is significant and the nature of the crime is serious." It added, "The defendant made another false report to 112 mentioning grenades immediately after this crime, making a prison sentence unavoidable." Regarding the sentencing, the court explained, "However, we considered the fact that the defendant admitted the crime and showed remorse."