"Amazing Korea: Lost Luxury Bag Worth 5 Million Won Returned Intact"

A Story of Recovering Lost Items Without a Single Loss
Citizen Who Found Them: "I Wanted to Show Korean Society"
Utilizing Police Lost Property System 'Lost112'

A Chinese tourist who lost a luxury bag containing 5 million won in cash was quickly reunited with it thanks to the quick thinking of a citizen who found it.

According to Chosun Biz on the 19th, the Chinese tourist lost a pink Chanel bag containing 5 million won in cash and two credit cards at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 16th.

[Photo by Chosun Biz]

At around 12:30 PM that day, Kim Bok-hyun (43), a citizen passing nearby, found the bag on the stairs of the Design Plaza and went to the Gwanghui Police Substation of the Jungbu Police Station in Seoul, about a 5-minute walk away. Despite the bag containing cash and luxury items, he did not hesitate and reported the lost item.

The tourist who lost the bag sought help at the Dongdaemun Center of the Seoul Tourist Police about 11 hours later. The officers immediately went to the scene but found no wallet.

At that moment, when they accessed the police’s comprehensive lost property management system, ‘Lost112,’ they confirmed that the bag had been registered as a lost item. The police promptly went to the Gwanghui Police Substation and handed the bag over to the Chinese tourist.

This was about 50 minutes after the Chinese tourist’s lost item report was filed, thanks to the proactive citizen’s report and the police’s lost property system.

Mr. Kim said, “I wanted to show the spirit of reporting that Koreans have. Seeing the credit card name written in Chinese characters, I knew the bag’s owner was Chinese,” adding, “I wanted to show the Chinese tourist that Korea’s reporting system is faster than any other country’s. I hope this becomes a model for reporting culture in the future.”

Sergeant Kim Dong-yoon of the Dongdaemun Center said, “The Chinese tourist could not hide his surprise and joy,” and added, “This is the result of a citizen with a strong reporting spirit and the police’s quick judgment.” He also explained, “Cases of losing cards, wallets, and bags happen frequently, but because the lost property system is well established, items can be found quickly.”