By Kim Bo-eun
Police are considering filing attempted murder charges against a student suspected of leaving a parcel containing a homemade explosive at the office of a Yonsei University professor, Tuesday.
Police at the Seodaemun Police Station apprehended the suspect identified as Kim, 25, on Tuesday evening.
Kim, an engineering major at the university's graduate school, left a box containing a bomb in front of the office of a professor also surnamed Kim at the school's engineering faculty building around 7:40 a.m. that day. The professor sustained injuries to his neck and arm around an hour later after the bomb exploded when he opened it.
Police are focusing on the fact that the student left the box in front of the professor's office, and not elsewhere, as backing suspicions that the explosive was directed at the professor and not planted randomly.
Police said because the bomb was "clumsily made," it did not cause life-threatening injuries but if it had exploded as intended, it could have killed the person opening the box.
Kim told police he had targeted the professor but had not intended to kill him. Police are investigating Kim's motive.
Earlier, news reports said Kim had been angered as the professor did not let him skip finals despite having gotten a job. Another said it was because the professor did not allow him time to study English which was necessary to take a test for military service exemption. Police dismissed these claims.
Police will also question the professor, who is receiving treatment at a hospital, to find out whether there were any grounds for the student to hold a grudge against him.
However, other students in Kim's department reportedly said they did not get the impression he would have had trouble getting along with professors or other students. In police investigations following the explosion, none of the students named Kim as a potential suspect.
Kim said he created the bomb without any online references.
Police have requested the National Forensic Service examine Kim's smartphone and computer to verify his claim.
Kim made a nail bomb — a device discharging sharp objects as it explodes — out of a tumbler, four batteries, dozens of bolts and gunpowder.
Kim said the idea to create a nail bomb came from the one that was used at the site of the Manchester Arena bombing last month.
Kim said it took around 10 days to assemble the bomb — which he began making in May — in his room in a boarding house.
Kim admitted to his offense after police found a pair of gloves with gunpowder on them outside his residence. Police said they confirmed the gunpowder was not used at the school's lab.
Surveillance camera footage showed Kim left his boarding house at around 3 a.m. and headed to the school's engineering lab to use a 3D printer there, before placing the box carrying the bomb in front of the professor's office.
Police are considering filing attempted murder charges against a student suspected of leaving a parcel containing a homemade explosive at the office of a Yonsei University professor, Tuesday.
Police at the Seodaemun Police Station apprehended the suspect identified as Kim, 25, on Tuesday evening.
Kim, an engineering major at the university's graduate school, left a box containing a bomb in front of the office of a professor also surnamed Kim at the school's engineering faculty building around 7:40 a.m. that day. The professor sustained injuries to his neck and arm around an hour later after the bomb exploded when he opened it.
Police are focusing on the fact that the student left the box in front of the professor's office, and not elsewhere, as backing suspicions that the explosive was directed at the professor and not planted randomly.
Police said because the bomb was "clumsily made," it did not cause life-threatening injuries but if it had exploded as intended, it could have killed the person opening the box.
Kim told police he had targeted the professor but had not intended to kill him. Police are investigating Kim's motive.
Earlier, news reports said Kim had been angered as the professor did not let him skip finals despite having gotten a job. Another said it was because the professor did not allow him time to study English which was necessary to take a test for military service exemption. Police dismissed these claims.
Police will also question the professor, who is receiving treatment at a hospital, to find out whether there were any grounds for the student to hold a grudge against him.
However, other students in Kim's department reportedly said they did not get the impression he would have had trouble getting along with professors or other students. In police investigations following the explosion, none of the students named Kim as a potential suspect.
Kim said he created the bomb without any online references.
Police have requested the National Forensic Service examine Kim's smartphone and computer to verify his claim.
Kim made a nail bomb — a device discharging sharp objects as it explodes — out of a tumbler, four batteries, dozens of bolts and gunpowder.
Kim said the idea to create a nail bomb came from the one that was used at the site of the Manchester Arena bombing last month.
Kim said it took around 10 days to assemble the bomb — which he began making in May — in his room in a boarding house.
Kim admitted to his offense after police found a pair of gloves with gunpowder on them outside his residence. Police said they confirmed the gunpowder was not used at the school's lab.
Surveillance camera footage showed Kim left his boarding house at around 3 a.m. and headed to the school's engineering lab to use a 3D printer there, before placing the box carrying the bomb in front of the professor's office.
