Police, What Was the Crucial Clue That Led to Catching the Car Thief After 5 Months?

CCTV Analysis, Caught by 'Kkongjimeori' Hairstyle
Cash Theft Worth 25 Million Won Over 11 Incidents

A man in his 40s who habitually committed theft from unlocked cars in apartment parking lots during early morning hours was caught by the police. The distinctive ‘kkongjimeori’ hairstyle captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) became a crucial clue.

Car thief. Image not directly related to the article. [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 3rd, the Namyangju Southern Police Station in Gyeonggi announced that they had arrested a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, on theft charges. Mr. A is suspected of entering unlocked vehicles in underground parking lots of apartments and officetels in Namyangju City during early morning hours from October last year to January this year, stealing a total of approximately 25 million won in cash over 11 incidents.

He judged that cars with side mirrors that were not folded were likely to have their doors unlocked. It was later found that he targeted only foreign cars for his crimes. Despite theft reports, it was practically difficult to catch him.

Ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Gimpo Airport parking lot is full (This photo is not directly related to the article.)
Photo by Yonhap News

Eventually, the police analyzed dozens of CCTV cameras and confirmed that Mr. A had a distinctive ‘kkongjimeori’ hairstyle and a large physique. Based on this, the police narrowed down their investigation and discovered that Mr. A was staying at an officetel in Jeju Island. On the 26th of last month, detectives were dispatched to Jeju and arrested Mr. A. At the time of arrest, Mr. A still had the ‘kkongjimeori’ hairstyle seen in the footage and had not locked the door.

During police questioning, Mr. A reportedly stated, "I committed the crimes to cover living expenses. The stolen money was all spent on online gambling and entertainment expenses." The police plan to transfer Mr. A to the prosecution after investigating any additional crimes.

Furthermore, the police emphasized the following crime prevention measures: ▲check the locking mechanism when parking vehicles ▲do not leave cash or high-value items in the car that could become targets ▲building managers should install CCTV in parking lots.