A man in his 20s who posted an online threat to carry out a knife attack at Yatap Station in Seongnam has been ordered to pay the state 14.84 million won ($10,100).
According to legal sources Monday, Judge Jang Seong-shin of Suwon District Court's Civil Division 22 ruled in favor of the state in its damages suit against the man, identified only as A, ordering him to pay 14.84 million won. The ruling was a partial victory for the plaintiff.
Police had filed the lawsuit after calculating that A's false threat wasted a total of about 55.05 million won in administrative costs, including officer wages, overtime pay and vehicle fuel expenses for personnel deployed to the scene.
The court recognized A's liability for only about 27 percent of the claimed amount — 14.84 million won — and dismissed the remainder of the claim.
The court's specific reasoning for awarding only a portion of the requested amount has not yet been made public.
A is accused of posting a message titled "Going to stab 30 people and die at Yatap Station on Monday" on an anonymous online community board he managed on Sept. 18, 2024.
After the post spread, police deployed special forces units and armored vehicles around Yatap Station and conducted extended emergency patrols in the area.
Through international investigative cooperation, police arrested A 56 days after the post appeared, in November of that year. During the police investigation, A reportedly stated he committed the act to promote a website he operated.
Police determined that the false threat had consumed significant public safety resources and caused harm to citizens, and initiated civil proceedings. Senior police leadership had previously stated they would "actively review follow-up measures, including not only strict criminal punishment but also civil damages claims," against those who make public threats.
Police filed separate damages suits against A and the person who posted a threat to bomb a Shinsegae department store. Monday's ruling marks the first court decision among those cases.
min3654@heraldcorp.com
