Police and Community Operators Among 4 Arrested
Targeting Increased Views and Visitor Influx
Visitor Numbers Actually Surge to Tens of Thousands
The 'Yatap Station Murder Threat Post' that was uploaded to an online anonymous community last September was revealed to be a hoax staged by site-related personnel aiming to increase views and visitor traffic.
On the 15th, Yonhap News reported, "The Cyber Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency arrested a total of four people, including A, the poster of the murder threat and a site management staff member, on charges of obstruction of official duties by threats and deception, and B, the site operator, on charges of aiding and abetting under the Information and Communications Network Act." A is suspected of posting a murder threat on an online community on September 18. B and others are suspected of aiding and abetting.
On the afternoon of the 23rd, police patrolled Yatap Station on the Suin-Bundang Line in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, where a post warning of a knife rampage was uploaded around last September. Photo by Yonhap News
According to the police investigation, their crime was a staged act to increase the site's view count. Before the post was uploaded, the site had only a few hundred visitors per day on average, but after the post, the number of visitors surged to tens of thousands. There were concerns about failing to apprehend the suspect for about two months as the author could not be identified. However, the police arrested the suspects one after another through international cooperation investigations, execution of search warrants, and IP tracking investigations.
After receiving the connection location of the IP that logged into the US server with the operator account, the police identified the office location in Seoul on the 29th of last month, arrested B and three others, and conducted a search of the office. Subsequently, through additional investigations, they identified A's identity and found A passing through a street in Seoul around 5:50 p.m. on the 13th of this month, arresting him urgently after 59 days. It was confirmed that they all met through work at university or society and are all male peers. A police official said, "We will use all tracking techniques to definitely arrest the poster of the threatening post who causes public anxiety and wastes public authority."
On the afternoon of the 23rd, the police special forces patrolled Yatap Station on the Suin-Bundang Line in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, where a post predicting a knife rampage was uploaded around last September. Photo by Yonhap News
Earlier, on the 18th of last month, a post stating an intention to carry out a knife rampage at Yatap Station was uploaded to the online anonymous community managed by A and others. The author A posted, "I will stab 30 people at Yatap Station on Monday," and "Recently, my parents abandoned me, and my friends ignore me, so I was going to commit suicide but posted this." When other netizens criticized him, he posted additional messages saying, "I will also set fires. Won't you give me any comfort?"
In particular, A attached a captured map image of the area near Yatap Station to the post, further amplifying public anxiety. When the police investigation intensified, the site posted a notice stating, "Due to system characteristics, even the operator cannot identify the author, guaranteeing complete anonymity," and "We prioritize citizen safety and are cooperating with media investigations." As a result, their actions caused a waste of police resources. The police have been deploying forces and conducting intensive patrols around the Yatap Station area.
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