Seoul: Police said Wednesday they are investigating anonymous emails threatening to bomb about 40 courthouses across the country. About 40 courthouses, including the Seoul Eastern District Court, Incheon District Court, Chuncheon District Court, Daejeon District Court, Gwangju High Court, and Busan High Court, received emails indicating that explosives had been planted, according to the police.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the emails reportedly claimed that homemade bombs had been planted at the respective courts and would be detonated at a specific time. The police deployed initial response teams and special forces to the concerned courts but determined that the possibility of actual explosives being planted is low.

The Supreme Court also confirmed that the 40-odd courts had received threatening emails, stating that police officers had completed searches and other operations at the courts. The Korean National Police Agency suspects the latest threatening emails may be part of a series of hoax threats originating from Japan that have been repeatedly sent since 2023.