A man who posted a fake bomb threat online has been ordered to pay for the police resources wasted in response.
According to police, the Jeju District Court ruled on Sept. 8 that the man, identified only as A, must pay 22.77 million won ($16,600) in damages to the state, upholding a civil lawsuit police filed against him. A had posted messages on an online community six times in August 2023 threatening to bomb Jeju International Airport and other locations.
Police deployed a total of 571 officers over 18 days to maintain security and conduct searches at the airport and surrounding areas. They subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for 32.53 million won in expenses the state had unnecessarily incurred, including overtime pay, dispatch allowances, fuel costs and business travel expenses.
The court found that the unnecessary costs would not have arisen but for A's intentional unlawful act, and that those costs exceeded the scope of expenses normally generated by routine crime prevention and investigative activities.
Since the public intimidation law — which punishes threats directed at unspecified members of the public — took effect in March last year, police have pursued both criminal charges and civil damages claims against those who post fake bomb and murder threats, signaling a tougher stance.
"Going forward, police will actively pursue damage claims to deter public intimidation that causes public anxiety, social disorder and unnecessary waste of law enforcement resources," a Korean National Police Agency official said.
arin@heraldcorp.com
