The Hyundai Group headquarters in Yeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, received a bomb threat email today (19th). The email stated that "if 13 Bitcoins (BTC) are not paid, the Hyundai Group building in Jongno-gu will be blown up at 11:30 am." Some South Korean media reports mentioned that the threat even extended to the Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in Yangjae-dong, mentioning that "after blowing up the Hyundai Group building, a bomb will be brought to Yangjae-dong and detonated."
Event Summary
According to South Korean police, they received a 112 call at approximately 11:42 AM that day. Hyundai Group immediately instructed all employees to return home and switch to remote work to ensure safety. Police quickly dispatched special forces and bomb disposal teams to conduct a comprehensive search of the building, covering both the East and West Wings. The search concluded at approximately 1:53 PM, and no explosives or suspicious items were found.
Police are currently tracing the sender's IP address and related clues. The initial assessment is that it is a false threat, but they will continue to investigate whether it is related to the recent series of cases.
It's worth noting that this incident is not isolated, but part of a series of false bomb threats targeting major South Korean companies. Several similar incidents have occurred in the past few days.
- December 18: Threats appeared on Kakao's customer service message board, claiming that explosives were being installed at Samsung Electronics' Suwon headquarters, Kakao's Bangyo and Jeju headquarters, Naver, and other locations.
- December 17: A warning of an explosion at the branch headquarters appeared on KT's online application page.
However, no actual explosives were found in any of the cases, suggesting they were pranks or extortion scams. Police suspect the perpetrators may be the same person or group and are currently expanding their investigation. Although the actual terrorist risk has been assessed as low, the series of incidents has caused unease among businesses and the public, and authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant.
Masked man throws smoke bomb and attacks people at Taipei Main Station
In addition, a real terrorist attack occurred in Taiwan today: during the rush hour, a serious attack occurred near the M7 and M8 exits of Taipei Station on the Bannan Line of the Taipei Metro: a man wearing a gas mask took out several smoke grenades from his suitcase and threw them. The explosion caused a loud bang and released a large amount of pungent smoke, which filled the platform and passageway with smoke. People mistook it for a fire or explosion and fled in panic, causing great panic.
According to police and witnesses, the suspect not only threw smoke bombs but also appeared to use petrol bombs and a long knife in the attack. After the attack, the suspect quickly fled Taipei Main Station and moved to Zhongshan MRT Station to continue his crimes, throwing more smoke bombs and randomly slashing several passersby with a knife outside Zhongshan Station and near the Eslite Bookstore Nanxi Store. Police quickly surrounded the Eslite Bookstore Nanxi Store building. During the pursuit, the suspect fell from the 5th floor and died from his injuries after being taken to the hospital. The entire incident resulted in at least 9 injuries, excluding the suspect, many of whom were in critical condition or seriously injured.
Regarding the above incidents, while expressing sympathy and regret for the victims, the public is reminded to remain vigilant in the near future, whether it is a false threat or a real terrorist attack, to avoid being caught in an unwarranted disaster.
