Seoul: A court has ordered a man in his 20s to pay 12.56 million won (US$9,136) in damages for wasting police resources last year by making a hoax bomb threat online targeting a Seoul department store, police said Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) confirmed that the Seoul Central District Court ordered the man to cover the full cost incurred by the Seoul police. This includes personnel expenses, overtime allowances, fuel costs, and meal expenses.
This case marks the first time a court has recognized a claim for full compensation of public security costs wasted due to an online threat, as stated by the police. The man had posted the threat on YouTube in August 2025, claiming he would bomb Shinsegae Department Store. In response, the SMPA deployed 277 personnel to patrol the department store area intensively. The police were able to track down the suspect and arrest him in Hadong, a city located some 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
"We will strictly punish those who threaten public safety and hold them accountable to the end for any damage caused by their actions," an SMPA official said.