Court issues arrest warrant for delivery rider in Suwon bomb hoax

A suspect in their 20s accused of fabricating a bomb threat at a fast food restaurant in Suwon, Gyeonggi, has been arrested and detained.

Suwon Yeongtong Police Precinct accused the suspect, a delivery driver, of obstructing official duties and business operations through deception.

“The suspect has no permanent residence and poses a flight risk,” the court said.

The rider allegedly posted a threat on social media at 1:09 p.m. Sunday, claiming they would plant a bomb at a fast food branch in Suwon because “the delivery was late and the staff were rude.” The rider then called emergency services, posing as a bystander.

The hoax triggered a major response. A police special operations team and emergency personnel evacuated hundreds of people from the nine-story building and shut down the scene for more than an hour and a half while searching for explosives.

Police said the rider, who began working earlier this year, acted out of spite after restaurant employees complained about slow service. Investigators are considering additional charges of making public threats.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]