”Terrorist threat fax” in the name of a Japanese lawyer causes school chaos in Seoul, South Korea

Terrorist threats in the name of a Japanese lawyer were sent by fax to a middle school and high school in Seoul, South Korea, for two consecutive days. Police believe the possibility of the threats coming to fruition is low, but they are urging students and teachers to prepare for the worst.
According to police and other sources, on the morning of the 28th, there were reports of people being killed in the Seocho, Gangnam, Seodaemun, and Seongbuk districts of Seoul.
The Johoku Police Station received a report that a threatening fax had been sent to a high school within its jurisdiction. The targeted schools were six schools in total, and the fax contained information about explosives that had been set up during the daytime hours of the same day.
The police have determined that this fax is the same as the recent series of threats sent in the name of Japanese lawyers, and have decided to send out special police units, etc., citing a low risk.
According to the police, the fax contained joking language intended to mock the recipient, and it was thought that detonating explosives at multiple locations simultaneously would have been physically impossible due to personnel and other factors.
However, police stations in each jurisdiction have strengthened patrols in the surrounding area. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has also established a reporting and response policy for cases where threatening faxes are received.
The school has been informed of the situation and discussed the matter. It has also been confirmed that some schools have sent students home. Prior to this, on the morning of the 27th, similar threatening letters were sent to three middle schools in Seoul.
In a press conference on the 25th, Park Hyun-soo, acting commissioner of the Seoul National Police Agency, said about the terrorist threats made in the name of a Japanese lawyer, "We will track the phone number, the sender of the email, and who sent it."
"We are cooperating with Japan and other countries as it is necessary," he said. However, the police explained that the investigation is progressing slowly because they need the cooperation of not only Japan but also other countries.
"There is a possibility that emails and faxes have relay points," he said, explaining, "We must investigate the company in question, and we are requesting international cooperation to investigate the relay points."
Police believe that this threatening letter is an extension of the threats that have been going on since August 2023, which were made under the name of "Lawyer Takahiro Karasawa."
Threatening emails have been sent, including one by the same perpetrator, stating that "If you do not kill Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, a bomb will be detonated in Seoul" and "A bomb will be detonated at Seoul City Hall on Liberation Day."
Attorney Takahiro Karasawa is a hot topic in the Japanese internet community, and threatening emails have been sent in his name in Japan, causing a social problem.
Although the individual himself has directly stated that this was an "impersonation," the crime continues unabated.