[DiaryPoint | Reporter Kim Jeong-hun] Even when a terror threat is never carried out, the person who posted it may face a civil suit to cover the cost of the police response, in addition to criminal penalties. On November 5, the National Police Agency said it filed four damages lawsuits last month against people who made threats targeting Dongduk Women’s University, KT and Kakao, as well as Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
The claims total ₩26.57 million. Police are seeking ₩3.47 million from a person who posted a photo of a weapon and implied a stabbing at Dongduk Women’s University last December, and ₩1.75 million from a person who threatened violence against spectators at Jamsil Baseball Stadium last October.
The suits also cover two bomb threat cases targeting businesses. Police are seeking ₩20.22 million from the author of 10 bomb threat emails sent to KT headquarters and several other companies, including Kakao, Naver and Samsung Electronics, and ₩1.13 million from a separate person who threatened KT headquarters.
The claims are amounts being contested in court, not final awards
The lawsuits seek compensation for response work, including dispatches and searches, prompted by the threats. Filing a suit does not mean the full amount claimed has been awarded. The court will examine whether actual losses occurred and whether there is a legally sufficient causal link between the threats and the costs before deciding liability and any damages.
South Korea’s Civil Act makes a person liable for damages when they unlawfully cause harm to another through intent or negligence. The Supreme Court has also held that a legally sufficient causal relationship is required; a mere factual connection between wrongful conduct and loss is not enough. Police expenses and staff time therefore do not automatically make every claimed cost recoverable. The items claimed and the basis for calculating them may be contested at trial.
Earlier lawsuits have resulted in some recovery
Before these cases, police filed five damages suits. According to the National Police Agency, it won and recovered damages in a bomb threat case involving Shinsegae Department Store. In a separate lawsuit over a threat to kill people at Yatap Station, police partially prevailed at the first trial, and an appeal is underway. Those earlier outcomes do not determine the results of these four cases or guarantee that the full amounts sought will be awarded.
The agency’s announcement underscores that threats later found to be false can lead to civil claims over response costs as well as criminal proceedings. Liability and damages for each person will depend on the evidence in the individual case and the court’s decision.