Shinsegae The Main in Myeongdong, central Seoul (Shinsegae Department Store)
Shinsegae The Main in Myeongdong, central Seoul (Shinsegae Department Store)

A man in his 20s who posted a false threat to “blow up Shinsegae Department Store” has been ordered to pay the full cost of the police response.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the government in a civil damages suit Friday, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Wednesday.

The court awarded the entire 12,567,881 won ($9,170) sought by the agency, covering personnel costs, overtime pay, fuel and meals. According to police, it is the first ruling to grant full reimbursement of costs incurred in responding to an online threat.

The man posted the threat in a YouTube comment in August 2025, prompting police to deploy 277 officers to search the area and step up patrols around the department store. Police traced the post to the man and arrested him in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, and the SMPA later filed for damages.

Online threats have repeatedly prompted large police operations in recent years. Police received reports of 177 bomb threats posted online in 2025 alone.

In 2023, a false post claiming that explosives had been planted at Jeju Airport led to the deployment of 571 officers. The author was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in a criminal case and ordered to pay the government 29.28 million won in a separate civil case.

“Even a single prank threat can require a large-scale police deployment, and that cost is ultimately borne by taxpayers,” the agency said. “We will strictly punish those who make public threats and hold them fully accountable for the resulting damage.”


shwang9@heraldcorp.com