Incheon "High School Stabbing and Murder" Threat Post... Police Investigation

Series of Threatening Posts Related to a High School in Incheon
Knife Attack and Murder Warnings... School Inspected but No Unusual Findings

The police have launched an investigation after posts threatening stabbing and murder at a certain high school in Incheon were repeatedly uploaded on an online community.

Photo by Asia Economy DB

On the 17th, Yonhap News reported that a report was received by the Bupyeong Police Station in Incheon around 4:30 PM on the previous day (16th) about a post predicting a stabbing on an online community. The unidentified author, Mr. A, is known to have posted a message stating, "There will be a stabbing at a certain high school in Incheon."

At 8:30 AM that same day, another post appeared on the same community stating, "I will kill teacher OOO (real name) at a certain high school in Incheon." The police are tracking the suspect, believing both posts originated from the same Internet Protocol (IP) address.

A police official stated, "We inspected the school in the morning but found no unusual signs," and added, "We plan to take protective measures for the teacher who was targeted."

Meanwhile, although posts threatening murder targeting unspecified individuals are rampant, there are criticisms that punishments remain lenient. After the Shinlim Station stabbing incident last year, the introduction of the 'Public Threat Crime' law was discussed but faced cancellation as the 21st National Assembly's term was about to end. The police announced that by August 28 of that year, about a month after the Shinlim Station incident, they investigated 476 posts threatening murder and arrested suspects in 235 cases.

Threats against unspecified masses require strong criticism because they amplify public anxiety, but in actual cases where they do not lead to crimes or only result in obstruction of official duties, most verdicts involve suspended sentences or fines. In July last year, a man in his 30s who posted a message threatening a stabbing at Daerim Station was given a suspended prison sentence in the first trial, and another man in his 20s who posted a murder threat shortly after the Shinlim Station stabbing was sentenced to 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.