Seoul: No explosives were found at a major department store in Seoul after a bomb threat posted online prompted the evacuation of some 4,000 people, police said Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the evacuation took place after a post on the community website DC Inside claimed that an explosive had been placed on the first floor of the Shinsegae Department Store in Myeongdong and was set to go off at 3 p.m. Police received the bomb threat report at 1:43 p.m., about an hour after the message was posted, and evacuated everyone at the department store while cordoning off the area.
Police special forces and fire officials conducted a near three-hour search but did not find any explosives, officials said. Police plan to track the IP address of the poster of the message.
Shinsegae stated it will take stern measures, including legal action, against those responsible for spreading false information, inciting public fear, and endangering customer safety. Operations at the department store have since resumed as normal.