Another Bomb Threat Reported at Asan High School... 1,200 Evacuated in Emergency

Another Bomb Threat Reported at Asan High School, 1,200 Evacuated
Second False Alarm Since October 13
Suspect Exploited 119 Reporting System Without Identification
Phone Number Theft Alleged, Police Launch Investigation

On October 13, another report was received regarding the installation of explosives at a high school in Asan, South Chungcheong Province.

On October 17, police and fire authorities announced that at around 9:31 a.m. that day, the 119 Emergency Reporting Center received a report stating, "A bomb has been installed at a high school in Asan."

After evacuating all 1,200 students, police special forces and a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team were deployed to search for explosives, but none were found.

Accordingly, the search was completed around noon that day, and students were allowed to return to their classrooms.

This school also received a bomb threat report on the morning of October 13, resulting in the evacuation of all students. Both false reports were made to the 119 Emergency Reporting Center.

The police believe the suspect exploited the fact that reports can be made without personal identification. The 119 Emergency Reporting Center is a reporting service for people with speech disabilities or foreign residents in Korea who are not fluent in Korean. Reports can be submitted by accessing the website and entering only a name and phone number. For emergency situations, the identification process is omitted.

It has been reported that the owner of the phone number used for the bomb threat on this day claimed their number was stolen. The owner of the number used in the October 13 report also told police, "I think my number was stolen."

The police are currently investigating the specific circumstances of the incident.