12-year-old boy accused of threatening terrorist attack on Incheon airport

Officers of the Incheon International Airport Police patrol with an explosive detection dog in the immigration area of the airport in this November 2015 photo. Korea Times file

By Kim Rahn

A 12-year-old boy has been accused of uploading a YouTube clip threatening a terrorist attack at Incheon International Airport on March 1, the Independence Movement Day holiday here, according to Incheon International Airport Police, Friday.

The police said their international investigation had identified the person who posted the video: a boy who was born in Korea and is now living in the United States.

On Feb. 21, the boy allegedly posted a 10-second video clip on YouTube with the Korean title, "I'll carry out a terrorist attack against Incheon airport at 11 a.m. on March 1." The title of the clip was later changed to, "The reason why I like the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks," with photos and phrases urging people not to criticize Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, who led the Sept. 11 attacks.

The police launched an investigation two days after receiving a report about the clip. In cooperation with Google, which operates YouTube, they found out that the uploader was in the U.S. and identified the boy through login records and other information. The boy's YouTube channel has also been shut down.

The police are considering charging the boy with violating the aviation security law. "We are checking with the U.S. authorities whether we can bring the boy to Korea for investigation, but we expect it to be unlikely," a police official said.

Although the chances of this terrorist attack actually being made are almost zero, police decided to maintain an enhanced security alert at the airport for the time being.

Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn
Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn