Bombing incidents aiming at manipulating stock prices: S.Korean police

South Korean police said on Sunday that explosions took place at two major Seoul transportation hubs last week were planned to manipulate stock prices for monetary gain.

The explosions occurred about one hour apart on Thursday morning, with the first at the Seoul Station in down town and the second at the main express bus terminal in southern Seoul. But no casualties were reported in the incidents. Seoul police launched a terrorism probe into the two blasts and tracked the suspects, based on CCTVs in the hubs.

The police said Sunday that three suspects had been arrested. A 43-year-old man, known as Kim, was caught on suspicion of plotting the blasts and producing explosives, and two others on suspicion of preparing explosive materials and placing homemade explosives inside lockers.

According to the police, Kim has been awash in debt after failing to make profits from large investments in futures, and recently borrowed some 50 million won again to invest in put options Wednesday. He planed the blasts to seek benefit financially from confusion of the stock market on the expiration date Thursday.

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