Man who posted threat to blow up Shinsegae department store ordered to repay $9,000 in police costs

A man in his 20s must repay the South Korean state 12.56 million won after posting a false threat to blow up a Shinsegae department store, a court ruled.

The Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 18 accepted the government’s claim for the full amount. Police calculated the costs from personnel expenses, overtime pay, fuel and meals. The ruling was issued on Aug. 28.

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Even a single threat posted as a joke can require a large deployment of police to protect citizens, and the cost is ultimately paid through public taxes.

The man posted the threat in a YouTube video post last August. Police deployed 277 officers to increase patrols around the department store, search the area and track down the suspect. Officers arrested him in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it was the first time a claim for policing costs wasted because of an online threat had been fully accepted. A police official said even a threat posted as a joke could require a large deployment to protect the public, leaving taxpayers to cover the cost. The agency said it would pursue strict legal action and seek compensation from people who make public threats.

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We will maintain a zero-tolerance principle, pursuing strict legal action against people who make public threats and holding them fully responsible for the resulting damage.