"No Place to Go at Dawn, So They Stay Like That"... Teenagers Occupying 24-Hour Unmanned Stores

Students captured on unmanned store CCTV.
[Photo by Online Community Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Scenes of teenagers spending time at unmanned stores every dawn have been captured.

Today (the 11th), a post titled "Current Status of 24-Hour Unmanned Stores" was uploaded on various online communities, drawing attention. The author attached CCTV footage showing students spending time at a 24-hour unmanned ice cream vending store.

The footage is estimated to have been taken around 2 a.m. on the 2nd. In the footage, four students who appear to be teenagers are seen either sitting on top of the ice cream refrigerator or sitting next to the cashier counter, looking at their mobile phones and resting.

Along with the photos, the author wrote, "Middle and high school students in the neighborhood have nowhere to go at dawn, so they use 24-hour unmanned stores as their hideout," adding, "They do the same at the neighborhood's 24-hour laundromat," and "Store owners must be having a hard time." Some netizens also commented that they had witnessed similar scenes.

Meanwhile, on the 10th, the police announced that due to a recent increase in thefts targeting unmanned stores, they conducted intensive investigations and arrested a total of 605 people during the crackdown period. Concerns are growing that the negligent management system of unmanned stores may lead to social problems.