A high school student who repeatedly posted threats claiming to have planted explosives in public facilities, including his own school, has been indicted and is currently in detention.
Fire authorities dispatched to Daein High School on the 13th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
On December 16, the Criminal Division 6 of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor In Hoon) announced that it had indicted a teenager, referred to as A, on charges of public intimidation and obstruction of official duties by deception.
From October 13 to 21, A is accused of posting seven messages on the 119 Safety Reporting Center, claiming that he had planted or was planning to plant explosives at Daein High School in Seo-gu, Incheon, where he is enrolled. He also posted mocking remarks, such as, "You can never catch me. I used a VPN five times, so you can't do anything," alongside the threats.
It was also found that during September and October, A posted threats claiming to have planted explosives at middle and high schools or railway stations in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, and Asan, South Chungcheong Province, on online communities.
After taking over the case from the police and conducting an investigation, the prosecution determined that, excluding one duplicate incident, A had posted a total of 13 bomb threat messages.
It was confirmed that, in the course of his crimes, A also used someone else's identity to post the threats.
According to the prosecution, A committed the crimes for the purpose of causing his school to close and for his own amusement.
A prosecution official stated, "A's actions resulted in a waste of administrative resources for the police and fire authorities," and added, "We will continue to respond strictly to public intimidation crimes that cause anxiety among the general public."
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