A false rumor of war with North Korea circulated online recently, alarming many South Korean citizens harassed by continuing threats from its northern neighbor.

Around 9 p.m. Wednesday, a netizen claimed via Twitter that the North Korean military had invaded Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.

“[Urgent] Battle broke out in Yeoncheon. F-15K fighter jets are currently waiting deployment. Citizens of Gyeonggi Province are evacuating,” the netizen posted.

The post encouraged the war rumor to spread among Internet users, and “Yeoncheon” remained one of the most popular search words on Internet portals until Thursday morning.

The person who uploaded the original post later issued an apology on his or her Twitter and said it was just a joke.

The incident highlighted the tension on the Korean Peninsula, and how South Koreans are mindful of possible military conflict with the communist North.

Pyongyang recently stepped up its threats against Seoul and Washington, even warning of nuclear strikes. Allied forces believe that North Korea may conduct a missile test very soon as a mean to show off its military capacity.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)