"Returned Phone, Bag, and Wallet but Only Got 3 Won Reward" Complaint Sparks Buzz Among Netizens

Found Bag Containing 270,000 Won in Cash Reported to Police Station
Mixed Reactions from Netizens to Mr. A's Story

A story about someone who picked up a bag containing belongings and money, returned it to the owner, and then demanded a reward of 100,000 won but only received 3 won has sparked controversy among netizens.

On the 12th, a post titled "I found a wallet" was uploaded on the online community BobaeDream. The post complained that even though the wallet was found and returned, the owner was not very grateful.

On the 12th, an online community called BobaeDream posted an article titled "I found a wallet." The post was a complaint that the owner of the wallet was not very grateful even though the wallet was found and returned. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]

The author of the post, Mr. A, found a bag in a restroom while on an outing to a mountain in Hongseong, Chungnam, on the 10th. The bag contained a wallet with 270,000 won in cash, a cellphone, glasses, and various other belongings.

Mr. A returned the wallet to the police station and asked, "Is there a reward?" but the police replied that legally there was none. He also added that the police asked for his contact information. Later, Mr. A learned about the existence of the "Lost Property Act" through a search and expressed dissatisfaction with the police for not explaining it.

A story about someone who found a bag containing belongings and money, returned it to the owner, and then demanded a reward of 100,000 won but received only 3 won has been criticized among netizens.
[Photo by Online Community 'BobaeDream']

An hour later, Mr. A received a call from the bag’s owner thanking him for finding it. When the topic of a reward came up, Mr. A said he asked for 100,000 won. The owner responded coldly, saying, "There was only 270,000 won in cash, and you want 100,000 won?" and did not behave as if he was grateful, which Mr. A complained about.

He continued, "He said he would note down the account, but there was no contact. Even by the next morning, there was no contact, and then at 2 p.m., he transferred 3 won and sent a text saying 'Thank you,'" expressing his displeasure.

Netizens who read this post criticized Mr. A’s attitude. Comments included, "Did you write this to get criticized?", "If you did a good deed, leave it as a good memory. The content actually makes me frown," and "Maybe he pressed 30,000 won by mistake. If it were me, I would have praised myself without expecting a reward."

On the other hand, some netizens defended Mr. A, saying, "Demanding a reward is not good, but sending 3 won is ridiculous," "Reissuing an ID card alone is very stressful, and if there was an expensive cellphone and credit cards, 100,000 won is not a lot," and "He could have just kept the 270,000 won, but he went through trouble and still gets criticized."

Meanwhile, Article 4 of the Lost Property Act, which Mr. A mentioned, stipulates that the person receiving the returned item must pay the finder a reward ranging from one-twentieth to one-fifth of the item's value. However, if Mr. A had kept the bag containing belongings and money, it could be considered a crime. This falls under the crime of embezzlement of lost property as stated in the Criminal Act.

According to Article 360 of the Criminal Act, anyone who embezzles lost property, drifted property, or property abandoned by another’s possession shall be punished by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine or penalty not exceeding 3 million won.