Why Are 'Murder Threat Posts' Keep Appearing After the Sillim-dong Incident?

Experts: "Exploiting Gender Conflict More Than Copycat Crimes"
Lee Soo-jung: "Highly Related to Hate Speech"

Following a stabbing rampage near Sillim-dong in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, a series of murder threat posts have been appearing on online communities. Experts say that while the possibility of copycat crimes cannot be completely ruled out, these posts seem to be made to exploit gender conflicts.

Professor Lee Su-jeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University stated, "It is difficult to consider the murder threat posts online as copycat crimes of the (Sillim-dong stabbing) incident."

In an interview with CBS Radio on the 27th, Professor Lee said, "There is a structure online where people are divided into teams based on misogyny and misandry, and this is highly related to hate speech. During the escalation of disputes on sites that are hostile to the opposite gender, these posts appear, but whether a person who threatens to kill 20 people actually plans to carry out such an act is a separate issue," she explained.

It is pointed out that posting online and actually planning and executing a crime are entirely different matters. Generally, posting murder threats online can be punished as intimidation for causing public fear. If it is proven that there was an actual plan to commit the crime, the person can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for attempted murder.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Bae Sang-hoon of the Department of Police Administration at Woosuk University analyzed, "It seems to be a combination of copycat crime plus gender conflict." On YTN Radio that day, Professor Bae said, "It appears that there is a specific group trying to exploit this incident for gender conflict," adding, "In other words, they approach it with an absurd logic like 'Why did only men die? Then let’s target a few more women.'"

Professor Bae speculated, "The suspect in the Sillim-dong incident merely used the victims as an outlet for his anger. This incident has nothing to do with gender conflict, but there seems to be a group that wants it to be related, spreading posts to gain views and benefits."

However, the possibility of copycat crimes cannot be completely excluded. The author of such posts may not only gain psychological satisfaction by causing fear and anxiety to an unspecified number of people but may also develop the intention to imitate the crime.

First, the charge applied to Mr. A, a man in his 20s who was arrested on a warrant for threatening to kill women near Sillim Station where the stabbing rampage occurred, is intimidation. On the 24th, Mr. A posted on the online community 'DC Inside' a message saying, "I will kill 20 women at Sillim Station on Wednesday," along with a purchase receipt for a 30 cm long weapon.

Attorney Kim Han-gyu said in an interview with Yonhap News TV that day, "(Mr. A) currently has a warrant issued for intimidation charges, but posting alone does not guarantee punishment. However, he must proceed to a concrete stage of intending to commit the crime, and since Mr. A posted a photo of purchasing a weapon, it could be seen as having the possibility of carrying out the threat to kill people, especially women," he said.

Mr. A is not the only one who has threatened murder after the Sillim Station incident. The police are currently investigating four posts containing threats such as "I will rape and kill women around Sillim Station," and "I will set fire to a building and kill only women who come out."

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