On June 24th, a post titled “I bought this for use at NewJeans’ concert”started circulating on various online communities. The post, made by the author A, included a photo of a knife and the message “I intend to use it when they disembark from the van.”
Despite being a duplicated photo of a Japanese knife available for purchase on an online marketplace, it remains uncertain if the danger is valid.
The police have received the post and are currently monitoring the author’s movements while also making plans to enhance security measures in order to safeguard NewJeans’ well-being.
Ever since last year, multiple knife threat posts have been directed towards celebrities. In August of last year, one such threat was made against HYBE, the company that NewJeans is a part of, leading to a police investigation.
During the same month, a post was made threatening to harm and cause fear to aespa’s Winter. The author shared this threat around the time of Winter’s departure, including specific details. As a precaution, the police stationed approximately 10 security personnel at Incheon Airport during aespa’s departure, and the airport also assigned additional security personnel.
At the moment, NewJeans is actively promoting their first single in Japan, “Supernatural”, which was launched on June 21st. On June 26th and 27th, they will be hosting a fan gathering called “Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome”at Tokyo Dome.
The recent menace posed against NewJeans is a reflection of a growing unease among the general population, caused by a string of “abnormal motive crimes”that occurred last year, including the stabbing attacks at Sillim Station and Seohyeon Station.
The government and local authorities are taking action to address these crimes, with the National Police Agency creating special task forces within the Ulsan, Gangwon, and Chungbuk police agencies, in addition to the existing 15 provincial police agencies. These task forces are specifically targeting serious crimes such as abnormal motive crimes.
In addition, local governments are taking proactive steps to combat abnormal motive crimes and provide aid to victims. Gyeonggi-do was the first among these governments to pass an ordinance aimed at preventing such crimes and supporting those affected. Key elements of this ordinance include the implementation of a reporting system and the establishment of one-stop support centers for victims. Similar measures have also been put into effect by local governments in Seoul, Geumcheon, Seongnam, Gwangmyeong, Bucheon, Seo-gu, Gyeongbuk-do, and Sejong-si.
The NewJeans terror threat is indicative of the prevalent unease in society. It is imperative that the government and local authorities continue their efforts in preventing abnormal motive crimes and providing support to victims.
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