Screams by BTS fans throw subway passengers into panic

Social Affairs

Published: 07 Aug. 2023, 19:00 Updated: 07 Aug. 2023, 19:04

Screams by BTS fans throw subway passengers into panic

Armed police patrols Gangnam subway station on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Public fear in the wake of a recent spate of random knife attacks is producing victims of its own.

On Sunday night, screaming BTS fans on a subway train led to a stampede.

Passengers on subway line No.9 in Seoul rushed out of the train when it stopped at Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, southern Seoul, when they heard a high-pitched scream.

Police and emergency responders received at least 20 calls reporting strange smells in the train, described as a possible toxic gas attack, as well as a person wielding a weapon.

The calls were made around 8:30 p.m. from the train traveling from Jamsil in Seoul to Gimpo, Gyeonggi.

According to the police, seven passengers suffered minor injuries, including bruises, as they rushed off the train the moment the doors opened. The scene was so chaotic that some passengers even left their shoes and bags behind.

On social media, some claimed that they saw police officers armed with taser guns or batons and shields running around the subway.

A livestream image of BTS Suga showing off his tattoo on Sunday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The commotion was believed to have been caused by fans of BTS screaming as they watched a live stream of one of the K-pop band's members, Suga, showing off the tattoo on his left shoulder.

This video was posted on social media after his three-day concert at the Olympic Gymnastic Arena on Sunday.

On Sunday, a 16-year-old middle school student, who was running, was beaten up by a plainclothes police officer in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi. Euijeongbu was the site of a threatened attack.

According to Euijeongbu police, they received a call claiming that a person in a dark hoodie was running around with a knife near Buyong Stream around 10 p.m. The boy was reportedly approached by two police officers who weren't in uniform.

They chased him down and beat him to the ground, believing that the middle schooler was trying to run away from them.

A person claiming to be the father of the student posted online that his son was simply running with earphones when he was confronted by the police.

"The two police officers in plain clothes suddenly told my son to come over without identifying their unit," the poster said. "My son started running in fear when they tried to grab him, especially considering there had been a recent knife attack. My son, who had no clue, was suppressed by force."

The poster further said the police not only failed to identify themselves but also didn't read his son his Miranda rights.

"When I arrived at the police station without knowing what was going on, my 16-year-old son had bruises all over his body and was bleeding," the poster said. "They didn't even apologize and said that verifying everything was their priority."

Photo taken by the father of a 16 year-old who was taken down by police after reports were made against the middle school student, who was running late at night with a hood on. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Fear has gripped the public since 22-year-old Choi Won-jong hit five people with a car before entering a shopping center in Bundang, Gyeonggi, where he attacked nine people with a knife on Thursday.

One of the victims, a woman in her 60s who was hit by the compact vehicle, died on Sunday.

The knife attack came two weeks after 33-year-old Cho Sun attacked four people with a knife outside of Sillim Station last month, resulting in the death of a man in his 20s.

Since Thursday's attack, threats of similar attacks in crowded areas, not only in Seoul but also in Gyeonggi and other parts of the country, have been posted online.

There was even a person who posted an online threat to attack people at the famous amusement park, Everland.

Some claimed that he intended to harm people because he had nothing to lose, as his girlfriend was breaking up with him, while others said he was just following a "fad."

As a response, the police have rounded up nearly 55 people, including one person who was taken into custody for carrying two knives at Seoul Express Bus Station on Friday.

According to the police, most of the threats were issued by teenagers, including a 17-year-old in Wonju, Gangwon, who reported his own threat on social media as if it were anonymous.

Prosecutors have been requesting arrest warrants for adults who make online threats, including a 31-year-old man on Monday.

"The suspect didn't just spread fear among residents around Hyehwa Station," stated the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Monday. "We consider the threat a serious matter as it not only amplified the public's anxiety but also resulted in the extensive mobilization of public authority such as the police."

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]