Even the restroom key... Unmanned store thief swept everything away like shopping

On the 24th, SBS reported that a man appeared at an unmanned cafe in Ungyo-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do at 4 a.m. and came and went for 20 minutes while stealing items. Photo by SBS '8 News' broadcast screen capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Recently, theft crimes where perpetrators sweep various items from unmanned stores as if enjoying shopping have been rampant.

On the 24th, SBS '9 News' reported that various crimes are occurring at unmanned stores nationwide and introduced one case. According to SBS, a man appeared at an unmanned 24-hour ice cream store in Ungyo-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, at 4 a.m. carrying an empty shopping bag.

In the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, the man seemed unconcerned about the CCTV, lowering his mask and acting quite casually.

Photo by SBS '8 News' capture.

The man repeatedly came in carrying several empty shopping bags and picked up items. For about 20 minutes, he stole daily necessities such as wet wipes and hand sanitizer inside the cafe, as well as the restroom key hanging on the wall.

The owner of the unmanned ice cream store said, "I restocked the items yesterday, but an entire row disappeared. It's absurd to take like this from a store that earns only 10,000 to 20,000 won a day. The owner immediately reported to the police, but the culprit has not been caught.

Photo by SBS '8 News' capture.

It has been reported that similar damages have been ongoing for several months at nearby unmanned stores.

At another unmanned ice cream store, a man dressed similarly appeared recently and swept away about 100,000 won worth of goods as if shopping.

The owner of an unmanned cafe said, "We operate 24 hours, turn on the heater, and provide a place for customers, but people are abusing this. It feels like a betrayal."

There are about 3,000 unmanned stores nationwide, including cafes, convenience stores, and laundromats. Operators of unmanned stores were hit hard by the novel coronavirus, and now they have to worry about thieves as well.