The front guest broke items and even drew a V sign... The back guest cleaned up the mess

Man Causes Disturbance at Unmanned Store
Kicks Kiosk and Throws Items Around

In an unmanned store in Wonju, Gangwon Province, a scene was captured where a male citizen silently cleaned up after a drunken man caused a disturbance and fled.

The man kicked the display stand... turning the unmanned store into chaos

A man, intoxicated, smashed an unmanned store in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and fled. [Image source=MBC news footage]

According to the Wonju Police Station in Gangwon on the 19th, in the early morning of the 16th, a man identified as Mr. A, wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt and sweatpants, caused a disturbance inside an unmanned store and then fled.

Footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) shows Mr. A staggering as he tried to make a payment, but when the kiosk did not operate as he intended, he suddenly started kicking. Afterwards, he raised his tattoo-covered arm towards the CCTV and made a V sign with his fingers.

Mr. A's antics did not end there. He kicked the display stands where products were arranged and threw items with his hands. Additionally, he kicked fallen items out the door, overturned the kiosk, and climbed on top of it. Mr. A turned the unmanned store into a mess before fleeing.

However, about 30 minutes after the incident, another male customer, Mr. B, who visited the store, saw the chaotic scene and began cleaning up. Mr. B picked up the items and moved them back inside the store, then checked the store owner's contact information posted inside and immediately contacted them.

When the store owner expressed gratitude to Mr. B, he reportedly replied, "Anyone would have done the same." Currently, the police are working to identify Mr. A based on CCTV footage and other evidence.

Crimes targeting unmanned stores on the rise... store owners reluctant to report

Meanwhile, crimes exploiting the vulnerabilities of unmanned stores without managers are on the rise. According to statistics from the National Police Agency, the number of thefts at unmanned stores in the first half of last year (January to June) totaled 2,830 cases, an increase of about 34% compared to the previous year (monthly average of 351 cases). When including assaults and property damage, the total number of crimes at unmanned stores is estimated to reach tens of thousands.

While crimes are increasing, store owners are reluctant to report them. Most damages are minor, and the likelihood of detecting the crime is low, leading many to give up on reporting altogether.

According to a report titled "Study on Crime Damage in Unmanned Stores and Criminal Policy Responses" published by the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice Policy in December last year, the majority (78.2%) of theft cases at unmanned stores in Seoul over two years from 2020 involved small amounts of damage under 100,000 won. Cases with damages exceeding 1 million won accounted for only 1%.

Given this situation, crimes targeting unmanned stores continue. Recently, middle school students who stole money from unmanned stores using hammers were caught by the police.

The Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province arrested a 14-year-old boy, Mr. C, on the 14th on suspicion of special theft and booked seven other middle school students involved in the crime without detention. Mr. C and his group are suspected of stealing 8.7 million won in 21 incidents at unmanned stores in Yongin, Seongnam, and Seoul between the 3rd and 7th of this month. The group met through social networking services (SNS), and some of them were runaways who committed the crimes to cover living expenses.