"Unmanned Stationery Store Chaos Brothers... Dad Came and Said Let's Follow the Law"

At the Stationery Store, Hundreds of Cards and Stickers Torn and Played With Before Leaving
Father Who Came First... Upon Hearing Compensation Amount, Says "Cannot Accept"

A story has sparked controversy after a father of children who turned an unmanned stationery store into a mess protested, only to be told, "Let's do it by the book."

On the 12th, a post titled "7-year-old's parent refuses settlement at unmanned stationery store, police called" was uploaded to a self-employed community. The author, Mr. A, who has been running two unmanned stationery stores for over a year, shared what happened on the 11th.

[Photo by Self-Employed Community 'Apeunikka Sajangida' Capture]

Mr. A said, "I was resting on the weekend and around 6 p.m. I checked the store's CCTV and saw two boys who looked like first graders tearing apart stickers in the back of the store."

Through the home camera installed in the store, he told the children, "Don't do that. Contact your parents, or I will visit your school." They replied, "Go ahead," then put a few items in a basket and left the store.

Mr. A immediately left his home and headed to the stationery store, but was speechless the moment he entered. Cards and stickers with torn packaging were piled up on the floor.

He wrote, "Just from a rough look, the Pok?mon cards numbered in the dozens, hundreds of stickers, and expensive card sets amounted to over 200,000 won," adding, "After reviewing the CCTV again, these kids visited the store three times on the 10th and 11th and caused this damage."

The children who made the store a mess turned out to be brothers. Their father, Mr. B, contacted Mr. A first, and the two met at the store. Mr. B visited the store with his eldest son, who is 7 years old, saying, "We came to pay for the items morally," and said, "My son has eight Pok?mon cards and a few stickers, so we will pay for them."

Police: "Since the child is under 10, civil action is the only option"

However, Mr. B's expression stiffened when he saw the photos Mr. A had taken in advance. Mr. A said, "The items roughly checked amount to about 200,000 won, and I only checked yesterday and today," adding, "I posted a sign in the store saying '50 times compensation for theft,' but I have never experienced such a large loss before, so I am flustered. I appreciate you coming to the store in person, so I am requesting 300,000 won as a settlement including compensation and the cost of the items."

The response left Mr. A even more bewildered. Mr. B said, "I cannot accept the amount, so let's handle it legally. I will pay if a compensation ruling is made." Eventually, Mr. A called the police, and after recording personal information, Mr. B left the store saying, "My younger child is home alone."

However, the responding police reportedly said, "Since the child is 7 years old, the case cannot be filed," and "If no settlement is reached, the only option is to file a civil lawsuit."

Mr. A said, "The CCTV footage and torn items are still there, but (Mr. B) did not even properly look at them. I am the one who suffered the damage, so why do I feel heavy-hearted and like a criminal?" He added, "I am not even happy about the settlement money. I suggested the minimum amount because I felt sorry for the child."

Meanwhile, children under the age of 10 are classified as juvenile offenders under criminal law, meaning they are not criminal minors and are not subject to sanctions under the Juvenile Act. Last year, a similar incident occurred at an unmanned stationery store in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, where elementary school students caused damage worth about 6 million won. The store owner even posted a petition on the Blue House website arguing that the law on punishing minors is flawed.