"Refusing to exchange clothes bought four months ago, threatens 'I'll bring gangsters'"

Affected employee "Recently submitted resignation while attending psychiatry"

In Cheonan, Chungnam, it was recently revealed that a customer threatened a store employee while demanding an exchange for a coat purchased several months earlier, sparking public outrage. The victimized employee reported the incident to the police, but when a decision was made not to prosecute without investigating the victim, they raised objections.

On the 26th, Yonhap News reported that "Employee A, who works at a golf brand store in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, raised concerns about the police investigation process and recently requested an audit from the Chungnam Police Agency's Inspection Division."

Earlier, on April 4th, while working alone at the store, A was threatened by a male customer, B, who said, "Cheonan gangsters will gather in front of this store tomorrow morning to prevent business," and A reported this to the police the next day.

A customer throwing clothes. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to A, B visited the store with his wife and a male acquaintance and brought a coat purchased at the store in December of last year, claiming it was a defective product and demanding an exchange or free repair.

When A explained that four months had passed since the purchase and that the hole in the coat was due to poor customer care, making an exchange difficult, B responded with abusive language, threw the coat, and exhibited threatening behavior. Feeling threatened, A reported the incident to 112 the next day and submitted a written statement to the responding police officers. However, about two months later, the police investigating the case decided not to prosecute, citing no evidence of wrongdoing.

A claims that the police conducted a biased and unfair investigation by concluding the case after only interviewing the perpetrator without ever questioning the victim.

A said, "I was so shocked by this incident that I have been seeing a psychiatrist, taking medication, and suffering from insomnia and depression, making it difficult to work normally. I recently submitted my resignation." He added, "The fact that the case was closed after only listening to the perpetrator without confirming the victim's situation or willingness to press charges raises suspicions of collusion with the perpetrator."

A representative from the Cheonan Seobuk Police Station, which handled the investigation, stated, "Local police obtained a victim statement from the victim, and based on that statement alone, they judged the victim's claims to be clear, so they did not summon the victim for a separate investigation. Even if a decision not to prosecute is made, the prosecutor can request supplementary investigation if there are issues with the investigation, but no such request was made."