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Man ordered to pay full damages for wasting police resources with fake bomb threat

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By Yonhap
  • Published KST
Police officers restrict citizens' access to Shinsegae Department Store in Seoul, Aug. 5, 2025, after a man in his 20s posted an online threat on YouTube to bomb the store. Yonhap

Police officers restrict citizens' access to Shinsegae Department Store in Seoul, Aug. 5, 2025, after a man in his 20s posted an online threat on YouTube to bomb the store. Yonhap

A court has ordered a man in his 20s to pay 12.56 million won ($9,136) in damages for wasting police resources last year by making a hoax bomb threat online targeting a Seoul department store, police said Wednesday.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), the Seoul Central District Court ordered the man on Friday to cover the full cost incurred by the Seoul police, including personnel expenses, overtime allowances, fuel costs and meal expenses.

This marks the first time a court has recognized a claim for full compensation of public security costs wasted due to an online threat, according to the police.

The man posted the threat on YouTube in August 2025, claiming he would bomb Shinsegae Department Store. In response, the SMPA deployed 277 personnel to step up patrols around the department store area. Police tracked down the suspect and arrested him in Hadong, a city located some 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

"We will strictly punish those who threaten public safety and hold them accountable to the end for any damage caused by their actions," an SMPA official said.