Police said on Sunday a teenager has been arrested on charges of detonating a homemade acid bomb at a recent public talk, whose two co-hosts face questioning for apparently making pro-North Korean comments.
Authorities here in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, said they’ve arrested an 18-year-old high school senior named Oh for possession and detonation of an illegal explosive device and property damage, among other counts.
Iksan police said Oh attended a talk hosted last Wednesday by Shin Eun-mi, a Korean-American who’s written books on North Korea, and Hwang Sun, the former deputy spokeswoman of the now-defunct Democratic Labor Party. They alleged that the teenager snuck in his sulfuric acid bomb with the intent to disrupt the talk, which was held at Shindong Cathedral in Iksan, and also destroyed windows and flooring of the venue.
According to police, Oh has been a member of a popular, right-leaning online community called “Ilbe” since last summer, and purchased his chemicals for the homemade bomb online in July.
Separately, Shin and Hwang are under investigation for allegedly making pro-North Korean remarks during their talks. Local conservative civic groups filed a complaint against the two with the police. Seoul’s National Security Law prohibits any “anti-state” activities attempting to praise, encourage or propagandize North Korean political ideals. (Yonhap)
