Shinsegae Department Store Myeongdong Branch Receives 'Bomb Threat'… 4,000 Customers Evacuated Urgently
A bomb threat posted online resulted in thousands of customers evacuating from the Shinsegae Department Store headquarters located in the heart of Seoul, prompting a significant police response.
Although the police search revealed no explosives, the department store announced plans for legal action due to substantial business losses caused by the false threat.
According to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 5th, around 1:43 PM, a report was received indicating that there was an explosive device installed on the first floor of Shinsegae Department Store in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Special police units were dispatched to the scene. The search found no threats, and the department store indicated it would hold the author of the false post criminally and civilly accountable.
Police, who began tracking the author, successfully apprehended the individual responsible for the threat. On the 6th, the West Jeju Police Station announced that they had detained a first-year middle school student, identified as A, on charges of public intimidation under criminal law.
"It will explode at 3 PM"… A single line in the post caused two and a half hours of business disruption.
The controversial post was uploaded on the "DC Inside" synthesis gallery at around 12:36 PM on the 5th. The author wrote, "Do not go to the Shinsegae Department Store headquarters. I installed explosives on the first floor yesterday. It will explode at 3 PM today," and the post was deleted shortly after being published.
Police and fire authorities arrived at the scene about an hour after receiving the report, evacuating all customers and employees inside the department store. They conducted a search inside the store until 3:59 PM, resulting in approximately two and a half hours of business interruption at Shinsegae Department Store Myeongdong.
It is reported that the revenue for that location during the two and a half hours typically averages between 500 million to 600 million won on weekdays, indicating considerable financial damage due to this incident.
Shinsegae: "Over 500 million won in losses… We will pursue full legal and civil responsibility."
In a statement, Shinsegae Department Store said, "We would like to share the exact situation regarding the false bomb installation posts circulated online," and "The police search results have confirmed that the post was fabricated."
They continued, "Immediately after the incident, we prioritized the safety of customers and employees by implementing evacuation measures, leading to about two and a half hours of business interruption," and warned, "We will take strong measures, including legal action, against those who create social unrest and threaten the safety of our customers with false information."
Shinsegae added, "We will continue to make the safety of our customers and employees our top priority, working hard to maintain a reliable and safe shopping environment."
Image source: Evacuated customers after the terror threat post / News1, News1
