Court orders teenage pranksters to compensate for bomb threats

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- Two teenagers who called in bomb threats to a local
carrier and their parents accepted a court's arbitration plan to pay millions of
won in compensation to the affected airline, company officials said Wednesday.

The two boys aged 15 and 17, whose names were withheld, made two separate calls
in January to Korean Air, the nation's biggest air carrier, claiming to have
planted bombs in passenger aircrafts. The flights were delayed until airport
security completed a search of the planes and their passengers.
A Seoul district court ordered each of the two boys and their parents to pay
7-million-won (US$5,600) in compensation to the airline company in a mediation
last month. The defendants and their families did not object, officials said.
"It can be well established that the prank calls have caused damage to the
plaintiff, and the defendants and their parents who are responsible for
overseeing their children are accountable for the damage," said Judge Lee Eun-hee
in the ruling.
An arbitration by the court becomes final if the defendants do not appeal within
two weeks.
The air carrier said another case is pending in court as a mediation plan was
rejected by the defendant who is also accused of making prank calls.
"A bomb threat leaves passengers stranded in the airport and paralyzes the
operations of airport police and security agencies," an official with Korean Air
said. "Business losses from ticket refunds and additional operational costs are
huge. We will be aggressive in seeking compensation in future cases."
brk@yna.co.kr
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