The parent company, Coca-Cola Amatil, issued a statement to the Australian stock exchange saying that the firm's Korean operation had been subject to an extortion threat last week.
The company received 75 e-mails and text messages last week threatening lace Coke bottles with toxic chemicals unless the company paid out 2 billion won ($2.1 million), a spokeswoman told Bloomberg.
The company immediately reported the threat to the police, she said. However Yonhap news agency said that a resident in South Chollar province had in fact fallen into a coma on Sunday from drinking a Coca-Cola beverage laced with poison.
Coca-Cola has recalled all Coca-Cola, diet Coke and Coke Zero in PET bottles in Gwangju, Hwasun and Damyang of South Jeolla Province.Police yesterday detained a 41-year-old Korean woman suspected of threatening the company, according to Coca-Cola Korea.
