"I Killed Someone"... Two Men, Including One in His 60s with 2,600 False Reports in a Year, Arrested

Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency. Photo by Se Ryeong Lee

Two men who habitually made false emergency calls to 112, claiming "I killed someone" and "I was assaulted," have been arrested in succession.

The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced on July 31 that, during a special crackdown period on habitual and malicious false 112 reports, they arrested and detained a man in his 60s, identified as A, in Gimhae, and a man in his 50s, identified as B, in Geochang.

According to the police, A was caught in the act on July 16 between 2:30 p.m. and 7:14 p.m. at a residence in Gimhae, after making 114 false emergency calls to 112.

At around 5:07 p.m. that day, he reported, "I just stabbed someone to death," prompting police to respond. About two hours later, he made another false report, saying, "I stabbed someone with a weapon, so please send a police car."

Investigation revealed that over the past year, A made more than 2,600 false 112 reports, including prank calls such as "Please deliver coffee" and calls expressing dissatisfaction with society.

B is accused of making 363 false reports from February to June this year, including a call at 4:11 p.m. on June 18 in Geochang-gun, where he falsely claimed, "I was assaulted by a stranger."

In addition to false reporting, he also threatened local residents with a wooden cane while intoxicated and demanded to borrow money. He also allegedly brandished a weapon at a funeral home because he was not given more alcohol.

He was also found to have committed drunken violence, such as entering neighbors' homes without permission and taking their belongings at will.

The police persuaded residents, who were reluctant to report out of fear of retaliation, to provide victim statements, obtained an arrest warrant, and tracked down B, arresting him at a restaurant in Geochang-eup on July 22.

Kim Sunghee, chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, stated, "Drunken violence and habitual, malicious false 112 reporting are representative crimes that threaten public safety and undermine basic social order. We will respond strictly through comprehensive and multi-faceted investigations."

He added, "If treatment is needed, we will also coordinate restorative criminal procedures by linking with medical and rehabilitation institutions."

He further emphasized, "To strictly punish chronic drunken violence against residents, it is essential to secure victim statements. Please trust the police and report actively."

The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency is operating a special crackdown period on false 112 reports from July through August 30 to protect daily life by establishing basic social order and to prevent police resource waste and delays in emergency response caused by habitual and malicious false reporting.

Additionally, from July through the end of October, the agency is conducting a focused crackdown on everyday violent crimes, including drunken violence and weapon-related offenses.