The Fate of People Who Posted "I Will Kill Anyone" as a Joke

Seoul Station Stabbing Suspect Arrested
Stabbing and Murder Threat Posts Lead to Consecutive Punishments
Suspended Sentences for Charges Including Threats and Obstruction of Official Duties

After a post predicting a stabbing at Seoul Station, railway police are patrolling Seoul Station on the morning of the 24th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The author who posted "I will kill anyone at Seoul Station on the 24th" was eventually arrested.

On the 24th at around 7:20 PM, the Jongam Police Station in Seoul arrested a 33-year-old man, Mr. A, at his home in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on charges of intimidation. Mr. A is accused of posting a threatening message on the online community ‘DC Inside Gallery’ at 1:42 PM on the 22nd, stating, "I am going to stab people at Seoul Station on May 24. I will kill 50 men and women, anyone." The police said they will investigate Mr. A’s motive and other details before deciding on further legal action. Earlier that day, the police obtained a search warrant and secured user access records and other information from DC Inside to track the suspect.

Posts threatening murder or terrorism against specific individuals or the general public have been increasingly spreading recently. Most are posted as a joke or to attract attention, but they often end in punishment. A teenager who repeatedly posted threats of terrorism at girls’ middle and high schools in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, is one such case. The 16-year-old boy, Mr. A, posted dozens of threatening messages on internet communities and social networking services (SNS) between February and March this year, mentioning specific girls’ middle and high schools in Gangdong-gu and threatening to kill students with guns, knives, and bomb attacks. He also posted threats of terrorism at locations such as Jamsil Sports Complex, the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul Station, and the Strawberry Festival in Nonsan, Chungnam. More than 1,500 police officers and firefighters were mobilized to the locations Mr. A targeted. Investigations revealed that Mr. A posted these messages to gain attention. On the 21st, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hee-young) formally charged Mr. A with intimidation and other offenses and detained him.

A man in his 20s who posted a message online last year threatening to kill a woman at Sillim Station is leaving the court after completing the pre-trial detention hearing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Last year, Mr. B (28), who posted a murder threat online in a university community, was sentenced to prison. On August 5 last year, Mr. B accessed a university student internet community with 25,000 members from his apartment in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, and threatened to kill unspecified people near a famous university campus in Seoul. On the 12th, Judge Kim Ji-hoo of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 2 sentenced Mr. B, charged with obstruction of official duties by deception and intimidation, to eight months in prison with a two-year probation. The judge also ordered Mr. B to undergo probation and complete 120 hours of community service. Judge Kim stated, "The defendant posted the threatening message on the online community without much guilt to attract attention. Many citizens must have felt fear. The nature of the crime is serious," but also considered that "the defendant has no prior criminal record and the family requested leniency," explaining the sentencing decision.

Last month, a man in his 30s who posted a murder threat in an online game chatroom was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year probation in the first trial. The man posted in the chatroom of the game ‘League of Legends’ (LoL) in August last year, saying, "I am going to stab people at Gangnam Station in two days." The court said, "Despite ongoing media reports about incidents that shocked and terrified citizens, the defendant posted a message reminiscent of such crimes without remorse. This behavior is very serious." The man expressed remorse by holding a sign at subway stations that read, "I am guilty of posting a joke message. I am sorry," and reportedly had no intention to plan or carry out the crime. A university student who posted a ‘murder threat’ online and a man in his 40s who posted a false murder threat out of frustration for not receiving unemployment benefits were both sentenced to prison with probation.

Those who post murder threats are mostly punished under intimidation charges. If they actually prepared for the crime, charges such as attempted murder or attempted injury may also apply. Intimidation carries a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won. Special intimidation can result in up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won. If attempted murder charges are applied, the maximum sentence is 10 years. If police resources were deployed due to the murder threat posts, obstruction of official duties by deception may also be recognized in addition to intimidation charges.