Explosive detonated at private English institute in Daegu

A handmade bomb exploded at a private English academy for elementary students in Daegu. There were no casualties because it happened before the academy opened class for the day. Fliers signed in the name “anti-American, anti-fascist struggle committee” were scattered at the facility.

A loud bang sounded on the third floor at a building in Manchon-dong in Daegu around 7:07 a.m. Monday. Housed at the building is “American Culture Center (in Korean), or Independent Center for American Studies Daegu in English.” A 41-year-old nurse working at a clinic on the ninth floor of the building said, “Smoke came out from downstairs, and papers were seen scattered.”

Doors to the academy and a portion of the lobby were smoked. Five A4-size papers collected from the site had a message reading, “The U.S. committed brutal crimes against the Korean people over the past 100 years. Worse yet, it is moving to cause a nuclear warfare in this country. It is time that we severe malign ties with the U.S. Yankees, you should be ready to leave.” It was signed in the name of anti-American, anti-fascist struggle committee.

Surveillance camera footages showed that two men with large physique, seemingly in their 20s and early 30s, went up stairways at around 6:39 a.m. on the day, carrying sags and pulling down their hats, and hurriedly ran away from the building about two to three minutes later.

Police believe that anti-American activists mistook the building as an American culture center operated by the U.S. government, and installed handmade explosives there. The academy, however, is a private English cram school for elementary and middle school students, which has about 100 students enrolled.

Police discovered at the site beverage bottles that seemed to have contained thinner. A police source said, “We have confirmed that there is no organization with the official name of ‘anti-American, anti-fascist struggle committee in Korea.’”