Woman who threatened to knife 20 Korean men 'in revenge' sentenced to year in prison

Social Affairs

Published: 23 Nov. 2023, 17:06

Woman who threatened to knife 20 Korean men 'in revenge' sentenced to year in prison

Armored vehicle deployed at Seohyun Station on Aug. 6 [GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE]

Suwon District Court on Thursday gave a yearlong prison sentence to a woman who posted an online threat to kill 20 “Korean men” at Seohyeon Station in August.

The offender was sentenced for issuing the threat and obstructing official duties by fraudulent means.

“Her action yielded far-reaching consequences which resulted in the waste of public resources and authority,” the judge said.

If a threat results in the waste of public resources, the perpetrator can face up to five years in prison or 10 million won ($7,696) in fines, regardless of whether he or she intended to carry out the crime.

“Even though she had a negative perception of men because of her memory of nearly being sexually assaulted, her actions and words cannot justify the murder threats. It is just an excuse,” the judge added.

She posted the threat on Aug. 3., the same day when an actual knife-stabbing rampage took place at Seohyun Station. She uploaded an image of a deadly weapon with a sentence saying, “I will go to Seohyun Station this Friday to stab 20 Korean men.”

Police officers enter into Seohyun Station where a knife attack happened on Aug. 3. [NEWS1]

The police deployed an armored police squad and patrol officers inside and out of Seohyun Station as a safety measure.

She was arrested at her residence on Aug. 7. She said the motive of the threat was “revenge” after hearing that "women suffered great harm" in the knife-wielding rampage at Seohyun Station.

Prosecutors in Suwon indicted and detained her on Sept. 5.

Per the court’s ruling, she must undergo 40 hours of sexual assault therapy. The court also banned her from working at child or juvenile-related facilities.

The offender was also charged with photoshopping a celebrity’s face onto a photo of an unknown person’s nude body.

“That's a bad crime that can cause endless damage when the images circulate or get copied on the internet,” the judge added.

BY HA SU-YOUNG, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]