"Soldiers Fired Fireworks at My Father" ... The Story That Set Social Media Ablaze Turns Out to Be False

Fireworks Video and Injury Photos Also Fake
"We Will Respond Firmly to the Spread of False Information That Causes Public Distrust"

An online post claiming that a father was burned by fireworks someone set off while he was walking along Gangmun Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, has been found to be false.

Some tourists set off fireworks on a beach. Photo: Screenshot from social media.

On Nov. 2, the Gangneung Police Station said it was investigating a 27-year-old woman identified as A, who lives in Incheon, on suspicion of defamation and other offenses.

A said that on Oct. 24, while taking an evening walk at Gangmun Beach, she saw three men setting off fireworks at a low angle rather than into the sky. She claimed that two of the men suddenly fired fireworks at her and her father, and that her father was hit, suffering second-degree burns to his hand and fingers.

A added that, in the course of the incident, “one of the men in the group was told by another man, ‘You’re a soldier, so you need to be careful.’” A video shared alongside the post showed the men repeatedly setting off fireworks on a dark beach. It also included a photo of the reddened back of a man’s hand, apparently belonging to the victim.

A said she reported the incident to the police on the day it happened but was told that “it would be difficult to make an arrest because the identities of the perpetrators could not be confirmed.” She also expressed her frustration, saying, “They fired fireworks at a person and even caused burns. It’s completely outrageous.”

In response, the police and Gangneung City said on Oct. 27 that they had received no reports or complaints related to the incident. However, several days after the alleged incident, the police received a tip through a third party that they believed might be similar to the case and continued investigating whether the tip was true and whether an actual incident had occurred.

The police investigation confirmed that A, who made the claim, was in Incheon, not Gangneung, at the time of the alleged incident. Investigators also found that A had not personally filmed the fireworks video or taken the photos of the injuries she submitted.

After questioning A and confirming the facts, the police are considering charges including defamation through the dissemination of false information and obstruction of official duties, as the post undermined trust in the police force.

A police official said, “We will continue to respond firmly to the dissemination of false information that causes public distrust.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.