The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency is strengthening its response to the recent surge in bomb threats and false reports occurring across the country.
The provincial police agency announced on September 17 that since the implementation of the public threat offense on March 18, three threat-related incidents have occurred in the province up to August, and two suspects have been apprehended.
Since July, the agency has been cracking down on habitual and malicious false reports, booking eight individuals and detaining five of them.
For relatively minor offenses, 64 individuals were referred to summary trials. From January to August this year, a total of 211 people were penalized for charges such as obstruction of official duties and false reporting.
Earlier, on June 18, the provincial police agency detained a man in his 50s in Geochang County on charges of obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means, after he made four false reports in a single day, including claims of being assaulted by a stranger.
On July 16, a man in his 60s was arrested in Gimhae after making more than 2,600 false 112 emergency calls over a year, including statements such as "I killed someone" and "Please deliver coffee."
On August 5, a man in his 20s was apprehended in Hadong on charges of public threat after posting a comment on a YouTube video stating, "I will blow up Shinsegae Department Store at 5 p.m. tomorrow."
The provincial police agency plans to seek not only criminal penalties but also civil damages against those who commit false reporting and public threat offenses.
Commissioner Kim Seonghee stated, "We will respond strictly to public threat crimes, regardless of whether the act is carried out," adding, "We will actively book habitual and repeated false reporters for obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means, and will continue our efforts in preventive public awareness campaigns."
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