Who Stole Tulips from the Flower Bed in Front of the Cafe?

Every Spring, Flower Theft Runs Rampant
Up to 6 Years Imprisonment for Theft Conviction

Every spring, flower thefts run rampant in parks and other places, and recently, a tulip theft occurred at a cafe in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, where tulips planted in a flower bed were stolen.

On the 22nd, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported that on the 16th, they received a tip from a cafe operator in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, stating that a man stole six tulip flowers planted in the cafe's flower bed. The CCTV footage shows the theft suspect approaching the flower bed in front of the cafe on a dark, deserted night, reaching out his hand and plucking a handful of flowers from the bed.

The tulips planted in flower beds around Seoul city/Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The tipster claimed that the man stole six tulips. These flowers were planted by the tipster's mother, and before the incident, a man had visited the store and asked the tipster's mother, "Could you give me some flowers?" but was refused. The tipster said, "I suspect that the man seen during the day, whom my mother mentioned, might be the one who stole the flowers."

Currently, the tipster has placed a warning sign in the flower bed stating, "If the flowers are not returned, legal action will be taken." He added, "I am waiting for a sincere apology."

A man was caught on CCTV stealing flowers from a flower bed at a cafe in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=JTBC 'Sageonbanjang' capture]

Cases of thieves secretly stealing flower pots placed in front of others' homes or stores during early morning or late-night hours continue to occur. In particular, some people believe the baseless old saying, "Flower thieves are not thieves," and groups have been seen gathering in parks to dig up flower seedlings.

In May last year, a group of five female flower thieves appeared at Bitgaram Lake Park in Naju Innovation City, Jeollanam-do, the largest scale park in the country. A citizen who witnessed the scene posted online, "I saw five women in their 40s digging up asters and putting them into shopping bags." In response, Naju City requested a police investigation to catch the gang that habitually steals flower seedlings from flower beds.

Moreover, flowers in government offices or urban flower beds are often targets of theft. Since flowers or pots are usually of low value, thieves take advantage of the fact that most victims do not report to the police and commit repeated offenses. Even if caught by the police, many thieves plead for leniency by saying, "I took them because the flowers were pretty, or because I like flowers."

However, taking flowers constitutes theft punishable by up to six years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won. Especially if two or more people commit theft together, it may be considered special theft. Also, theft is not a quasi-offense that requires the victim's consent for prosecution, so even if the victim agrees to a settlement, the offender can still be punished.