Incheon man booked over threatening call to Japanese Embassy

A South Korean man, who allegedly threatened to blow up the Japanese Embassy in Seoul after getting indignant at a US broadcaster's remarks in favor of Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, has been briefly detained, police said Sunday.

The 55-year-old man identified only as Jung was booked without detention on charges of making a threatening call to the Japanese Embassy, according to Seoul's Jongno Police Station.

Jung was accused of threatening to blow up Japan's embassy with dynamite on Feb. 12 after hearing the news that a commentator of US broadcaster NBC made comments in support of Japan's forced occupation of the Korean Peninsula about a century ago during the network's live coverage of the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Jung admitted to his charges, saying he made the threatening call in a fit of anger under the influence of alcohol.

(Yonhap)

Jung was arrested at his home in Incheon, west of Seoul, but was released later after undergoing questioning, police said.

"An arrest warrant has not been requested against Jung as he has no records of similar crimes in the past. Instead his case will be sent to the prosecution with an opinion that charges be brought against him," a police investigator said.

Joshua Cooper Ramo, an NBC commentator, described Japan as "a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945, but every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation."

NBC later apologized for the remarks. (Yonhap)