Court orders man who posted stabbing threat online to pay almost 15 million won to government
The ruling marks the first court decision in any damages suit filed by the police as they increase efforts to hold those who make online threats financially liable for the resources expended in response.
A special police operations unit patrols Yatap Station in Bundang District in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 23, 2024, after a threat to stab people at the site was posted online on Sept. 18, 2024.
YONHAP
A man who posted a threat online to stab 30 people at Yatap Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, has been ordered to pay the government 14.84 million won ($10,700) as compensation for deployed police resources.
The ruling marks the first court decision in any damages suit filed by the police seeking to recover the costs incurred in response to online threats.
The man was accused of anonymously posting a threat on an online community board — which he operated — on Sept. 18, 2024. The title of the post read “I’ll stab at least 30 people at Yatap Station on Monday and die.”
Judge Jang Seong-sin of the Suwon District Court partially ruled in favor of the state on Monday, ordering the man to pay about 15 million won to the government.
Police had sought 55.05 million won, citing administrative costs such as wages and overtime pay for dispatched officers and fuel expenses for police vehicles.
The court held the man liable for about 27 percent of those costs, or 14.84 million won, and dismissed the remainder of the government’s argument. The specific reasoning behind this decision has not yet been disclosed.
After the threat spread online, police deployed a special operations unit and an armored vehicle to Yatap Station and increased patrols in the area for an extended period as a precaution.
Police arrested the man in November 2024, 56 days after the post was uploaded, following an investigation that included international cooperation. The man reportedly admitted to investigators that he had posted the threat to promote his website.
Police also filed a damages suit against another person who posted a bomb threat targeting Shinsegae Department Store as part of efforts to hold those who make online threats financially liable for the resources expended in response.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
