Home > National > Social Affairs

Kid who skipped school to play computer games sparks manhunt in Cheongju after false kidnapping claim

Published: 11 Dec. 2025, 18:07

A logo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A major police operation was launched in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, after an elementary school student falsely claimed to have been kidnapped — in an attempt to hide from his parents that he had skipped school to go to a PC bang, or internet cafe.

According to police Thursday, the student and his mother arrived at a local police precinct around 1 p.m. and reported that he had been abducted but managed to escape.

The student claimed that around 11:30 a.m., several unfamiliar men had covered his mouth and nose with a white cloth while he was walking on the street, causing him to lose consciousness. He said he was then forced into a car but later escaped when the kidnappers let their guard down.

Dozens of detectives were immediately dispatched to track down the suspects.

However, footage from closed-circuit cameras in the area the student identified as the abduction site did not show him at all.

After tracing his movements in detail, police discovered that the student had left home that morning but did not go to school. Instead, he spent time at a nearby PC bang.

He eventually admitted to lying, reportedly telling police he was afraid of being scolded by his parents.

A police official said the student could not be held criminally responsible because he was under the age of criminal liability. “However, false reports like this divert critical police resources,” the official said. “We urge guardians to carefully guide their children to prevent similar incidents.”

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.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]