What prompted Hyundai Group to clear its building and involve law enforcement? On Friday, a threatening email indicated that unless a ransom of 13 Bitcoin was paid, a bomb would detonate at their Jongno-gu facility. At that time, the value of Bitcoin was around $87,000, which means the demanded amount exceeded $1 million.
In response to this alarming situation, Hyundai Group evacuated its employees from the premises, and authorities deployed special forces to assess the potential threat. Following a thorough investigation, law enforcement determined that the likelihood of a real explosive device was low and subsequently confirmed that the threat was indeed a hoax.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of bomb threats targeting major corporations in South Korea recently. Just a day before the Hyundai threat, disruptive posts on Kakao’s customer service platform alleged that explosives had been placed at several prominent locations including Kakao’s Pangyo office, Samsung Electronics’ headquarters in Suwon, and Naver, where demands for substantial cash payments were also made.
Another similar threat emerged on December 17, wherein a message via KT’s online application indicated that explosives had been planted at KT’s Bundang office. Such incidents reflect a concerning trend of security threats against large corporations, raising questions about corporate safety protocols and crisis management procedures.