After the Weapon Rampage, Flood of "Murder Threat" Posts... "If Intent to Commit Crime is Confirmed, Arrest Will Follow"

Police Arrest 28 People in One Day

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Following the stabbing incidents at Sillim Station and Seohyeon Station, 28 individuals who posted online 'murder threats' were apprehended by the police within a day.

The police have classified murder threats as a 'serious criminal act' and a 'direct threat to public safety,' and have decided to detain and investigate those who show intent to commit crimes, such as preparing weapons.

According to the National Police Agency, as of noon on the 6th, a total of 46 people nationwide who posted murder threats have been arrested. This number increased by 28 from 18 at the same time the previous day.

The police arrested a teenager, identified as A, at home around 5:47 p.m. the previous day after he posted on Instagram, "I will kill 20 people at Gyeyang Station at 7 o'clock." Another individual who posted a threat to carry out a stabbing rampage at Busan Seomyeon Station was identified as Navy Private B, who was handed over to the military police.

Online murder threat posts began appearing after the stabbing incident at Sillim Station on the 21st of last month and have increased nationwide since the Seohyeon Station incident on the 3rd. Many of the suspects arrested are minors, most of whom have stated that "it was a joke."

The National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency held an emergency meeting at 4 p.m. that day with investigation chiefs and deputies from city and provincial police agencies, deciding to actively apply all possible punishments such as intimidation, attempted murder, and obstruction of official duties to those who post murder threats.

Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, stated, "We regard posting murder threats as a serious criminal act and are pursuing and arresting the posters to the end. We consider it a direct threat to public safety and will actively detain and investigate if there is confirmed intent to commit a specific crime."

The police confirmed that Heo, a man in his 20s who was arrested on the morning of the 4th for wandering around Seoul Gangnam Express Bus Terminal with a weapon, had posted murder threats on social media, and applied for an arrest warrant on charges of attempted murder. Lee, a man in his 20s who posted a 'Sillim Station murder threat' on the 24th of last month, was arrested after attaching a screenshot of an online weapon purchase.

The police believe that unnecessary public authority is being wasted in tracking and arresting the posters and plan to actively consider charges of obstruction of official duties. Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok also instructed at an emergency meeting on strict response to serious violent crimes that "in addition to intimidation charges, actively apply all possible criminal laws such as attempted murder and obstruction of official duties."

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