Teenager gets suspended sentence for bomb threat during documentary filming

A 19-year-old man has been handed a suspended prison sentence for fabricating a bomb threat on a live chat during the filming of a KBS documentary.

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I'm here and I've planted a bomb

The incident occurred last August when the suspect, identified as Yang, posted a false message stating "I'm here and I've planted a bomb" in the YouTube live chat of a special broadcast. The documentary was filming at the former Andong Station in Gyeongbuk Province, where a special event was being held based on a decade-old promise made between university students and a filming crew.

Alerted by a viewer, approximately 50 police officers were dispatched to the scene, leading to the evacuation of citizens and a thorough search for the alleged explosive. The court acknowledged the significant anxiety and inconvenience caused to the public, the substantial waste of police resources, and the disruption to the documentary's filming. Yang was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to undergo probation.

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Andong Station has a bomb

However, the court considered Yang's lack of a criminal record, his status as a minor at the time of the offense, and his admission of guilt. Despite the scare, the filming crew and one of the students from the original promise were able to reunite as planned. Yang also faced separate charges for failing to pay for a massage service by making a partial payment.

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The court cited the suspect's lack of prior offenses and minor status at the time of the crime as mitigating factors, while also noting the disruption caused.