Suspicious box found at S. Korean consulate in Japan

TOKYO/SEOUL--A suspicious-looking box with possible links to an anti-Korean group was found at the South Korean consulate general in Yokohoma Saturday, officials said.

The box, which is 35 centimeters long, 15 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters tall, was discovered by a consulate official in the parking area outside the building, according to the consulate officials.

A note on the box read, "This is revenge for the blast in Yasukuni," together with the name of a Japanese organization that has led anti-Korean protests.

Yasukuni is the name of the war shrine where a minor explosion took place last month. A South Korean man has been identified as the suspect.

The box was reported to the Yokohama Police Department and collected by a bomb disposal unit for inspection.

They have identified the contents of the box as dried feces, although it's unclear yet whether it's of a human or an animal, the officials said.

The police have also begun to analyze CCTV footage showing a man throwing a box over the wall into the consulate grounds around 1 p.m. on Friday.

The South Korean embassy in Tokyo has asked Japanese police to beef up security measures for all South Korean diplomatic missions in the country.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry also said it has ordered stronger vigilance at its missions in Japan and safety measures for South Korean residents there. (Yonhap)