Kim Dae-jung, superintendent of education for the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city, visits Gwangju First High School on Wednesday afternoon — his first day in office — to console the school's baseball team after players were hurt by regional slurs from Baejaego High School supporters during a recent national tournament. [Yonhap]
Kim Dae-jung, superintendent of education for the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city, visits Gwangju First High School on Wednesday afternoon — his first day in office — to console the school's baseball team after players were hurt by regional slurs from Baejaego High School supporters during a recent national tournament. [Yonhap]

Police and fire department officials launched a search of a Gwangju high school Saturday after a post threatening that explosives had been planted on the premises appeared online.

The Gwangju Buk-gu Police Station said it received a report at around 11:50 a.m. Saturday that a post claimed a bomb had been placed at Gwangju First High School, known as Gwangju Ilgo, in Numun-dong, Buk-gu.

The post, uploaded to an online community, reportedly read: "I have planted a bomb at Gwangju Ilgo. I have trampled on the future of Baejaego's youth."

Officers who responded to the scene are searching the school alongside fire department officials, but no explosive device had been found as of press time.

Police said they also plan to examine whether the threat is connected to a scheduled event on Sunday, when the Baejaego baseball team is set to formally apologize at Gwangju Ilgo for mocking the May 18 pro-democracy movement and making regional slurs against the school.


spa@heraldcorp.com