Suspect says he made Yonsei University bomb by himself

All News 10:50 June 14, 2017

SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- A Yonsei University graduate student arrested as a suspect for a nail bomb blast that injured a professor this week told police Wednesday he designed the explosive by himself without searching the Internet.

Police apprehended the student, identified only as 25-year-old Kim, Tuesday night for sending a homemade bomb to his professor's office at the engineering faculty building of the university in western Seoul earlier in the day. The professor also surnamed Kim suffered burns after opening a box containing the explosive.

According to the police, the student confessed that he made the bomb on his own without Googling or looking up YouTube clips.

The explosive, which was placed inside a drink tumbler, had a detonator connected with wires and four batteries that can be purchased from any hardware store. It was filled with gunpowder and dozens of small bolts, which police suspect were intended to maximize the damage.

"It seems that the suspect used his own basic scientific knowledge to design the bomb," a police officer said.

The police sent the suspect's computer and mobile phone to the national forensic institute for a detailed analysis and to prove whether his statements are true.

The police declined to disclose details about the motive, saying, "We're not at that stage (to announce them)."

The student had denied any wrongdoing when the police questioned him earlier. But he later admitted to making the bomb after the police found surveillance footage of him throwing out a plastic glove that had gunpowder residue on it. The police will likely seek an arrest warrant for him as soon as they confirm his charges.