SNS post claiming father was burned by fireworks at Gangneung beach turns out to be false

An SNS post that drew widespread attention online, claiming a father suffered second-degree burns after being struck by fireworks at Gangmun Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, has been found to be false.

The Gangneung Police Station said Monday it is investigating a 27-year-old Incheon resident, identified only as A, on possible defamation charges.

A had posted Tuesday on the online community Bobaedream, claiming a father had been burned by fireworks at Gangmun Beach and sharing a related video.

A said that on the evening of Oct. 20, while walking along Gangmun Beach with the father, three people were firing fireworks at one another at a low angle. Two of them allegedly fired toward the father, burning the father's hand with second-degree burns.

A also said that police were contacted on the day of the incident but were told an arrest would be difficult because the identities of those responsible could not be determined.

The video shared in the post showed two people firing fireworks at each other, with the projectiles flying past their heads or landing on the sandy beach.

The story raised concerns about the dangers of indiscriminate fireworks use at beaches and the risk it poses to bystanders.

Police, however, said no report related to the alleged incident had been filed on the day the post was published, and that Gangneung city had received no related complaints either.

Days after the alleged incident, police received a tip about a similar case through a third party and launched an investigation to determine whether the tip was credible and whether any actual incident had occurred.

The investigation found that A had been in Incheon, not Gangneung, at the time the incident was claimed to have taken place. The fireworks video and injury photos attached to the post were also confirmed not to have been taken by A.

Police summoned A for questioning to verify the facts and are investigating whether the spread of false information constitutes defamation or other violations of the law.

"We will continue to respond firmly to the spread of false information that erodes trust in society," a police official said.