20s Man Arrested for Posting Online Threat to Attack Yoon Seok-yeol Inauguration Ceremony with Grenade

Police: "Voluntary accompaniment to Seoul... Plan to investigate the circumstances of the post"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] A man in his 20s who posted content suggesting a terrorist attack at President Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration ceremony was apprehended by the police.

On the 10th, the Seocho Police Station in Seoul announced that they arrested a man in his 20s, identified as Mr. A, who posted online that he would bomb President Yoon's inauguration venue. He was caught in an undisclosed location in Chungcheongbuk-do and is currently being escorted to Seoul for questioning.

The police stated, "We plan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the posting of the said message."

According to the police, Mr. A posted on the online community Bobae Dream at around 10:35 p.m. the previous day, writing, "Looking for someone to carry out a grenade attack at tomorrow's inauguration." He also referenced the lunchbox bomb used by independence activist Yun Bong-gil during the Japanese colonial period. The post received more than 60 comments.

Later, on the morning of the 10th, Mr. A posted an additional message on Bobae Dream. He said, "I never said I was going to carry out a grenade attack; I wrote the post jokingly about looking for someone. Calling it a national riot conspiracy is an extreme exaggeration. I never thought it would be possible to suppress individual freedom of speech to this extent."

He added, "No matter how wrong the world is, I will keep my mouth shut," and expressed, "I am scared of South Korea where the right to speak has disappeared."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.