The Ministry of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit claiming approximately 43 million KRW in damages against the poster of the 'murder threat' at Sillim Station.
On the 19th, the Ministry of Justice announced that it had filed a civil lawsuit for damages caused by an unlawful act against the poster of the 'murder threat at Sillim Station Exit 2'.
The defendant, Choi (29), who is the first to be sued by the Ministry of Justice for damages related to the murder threat post, posted on an internet community board on July 26, stating, "I am standing in front of Exit 2 of Sillim Station holding a knife. From now on, I will kill people," which caused a large police response.
The Ministry of Justice stated that a total of 703 police officers, including the Cyber Investigation Team and Riot Police Unit of the National Police Agency, were deployed from the time citizens who saw Choi’s post reported to 112 until Choi was apprehended. This resulted in a waste of public funds amounting to 43,701,434 KRW for police allowances and fuel costs for deployed vehicles. The Ministry of Justice has claimed damages of this amount from Choi.
Earlier, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Soo-min) indicted Choi on the 31st of last month on charges of intimidation and obstruction of official duties by deception.
As murder threat posts continued to appear online, the Ministry of Justice announced on the 24th of last month that it would hold the posters civilly liable in addition to criminal punishment.
A Ministry of Justice official stated, "We have announced that we will hold the posters of murder threat posts, who recently caused public anxiety and enormous consumption of public authority, liable for damages due to unlawful acts in civil court separately from criminal punishment, in consultation with related agencies such as the National Police Agency." He added, "Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice’s National Litigation Division, the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office Litigation Division, the National Police Agency’s Regulatory Reform Legal Affairs Office, and the Cyber Crime Investigation Division formed a 'Murder Threat Damage Lawsuit Task Force' to prepare for filing civil lawsuits, and today, as the first lawsuit, filed a suit against the poster of the 'murder threat at Sillim Station Exit 2'."
The Ministry of Justice, Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, and National Police Agency plan to file additional damage claims against other posters of murder threat posts.
Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon said, "Going forward, the Ministry of Justice will thoroughly hold posters of murder threat posts accountable not only criminally but also civilly to prevent such incidents from recurring."
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