Posting Absurd Message Predicting Stabbing and Photo of Knife
NewJeans Fan Reports to Police via SNS
Punishment Should Be Harsher Regardless of Actual Crime
A post threatening a stabbing targeting the idol girl group 'NewJeans' was uploaded, prompting fans to report the author to the police. On the 24th, a post titled "I bought this to use when NewJeans holds a concert" appeared on an online community. The author of the post uploaded a photo of a Japanese-style knife along with the absurd phrase, "I plan to give one hit each when they get off the van."
A post threatening a stabbing targeting the idol girl group 'NewJeans' was uploaded, prompting fans to report the author of the post to the police. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]
NewJeans fans began identifying the author of the post by sharing proof of their police reports on social networking services (SNS). They also reported the matter to NewJeans' agency, ADOR. The photo of the Japanese-style knife is believed to have been taken from a similar knife being sold online. It has not been confirmed whether the author was actually planning to commit the crime. However, fans are deeply concerned about the horrific threat itself.
Earlier last month, a post threatening Jang Wonyoung of the girl group IVE also appeared online. Such anonymous online threats targeting idols continue to surface. Some posts even specify exact dates and times for the intended crimes, raising concerns among industry insiders and fans. In response, related industries unanimously agree that regardless of whether the crime is carried out, the punishment for posting such threats should be increased.
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