"How Desperate Must It Be to Have Your Face Photo Posted?" The Reality of Unmanned Stores Plagued by Theft

Store Owners Struggle with Theft Crimes in Economic Downturn
Security Doors and CCTV Installation Fail to Resolve Issues
Posting Suspect Photos Constitutes Defamation

"When business was good, I turned a blind eye to small thefts. These days, every penny counts."

Mr. Do-mo (56), who operates a meal kit unmanned store in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, recently caught a thief who inserted a card but fled without making a payment. Since opening, Mr. Do's store has experienced a total of 10 theft incidents over two years. Of these, six occurred in the first half of this year alone. In the early days of his business, Mr. Do tried to calm customers down and resolve incidents quietly.

[Image source=Asia Economy DB]

However, as theft cases surged this year, Mr. Do found himself contemplating whether to take strong action. With rising prices increasing operating costs and profits decreasing, the financial losses from theft became significant.

Mr. Do said, "In the past, I believed store owners should not post photos of suspected thieves in the store without permission," but added, "These days, I understand why some might feel compelled to do so."

Recently, there has been controversy as unmanned store owners have been posting photos of suspected thieves, leading to debates about defamation and potential legal consequences. However, store owners complain that they have no choice if they want to recover their financial losses.

Mr. Kim (57), who runs a meal kit unmanned store in Wonju, Gangwon Province, also suffered emotionally from ongoing thefts. Despite installing three CCTV cameras and a security door that opens only after inserting a card, inventory shortages actually increased.

Ultimately, Mr. Kim decided to close his store this year. With monthly electricity and rent costs exceeding 1 million won, each theft dealt a heavy blow. He said, "Due to rising prices, delivery costs have increased, and I barely made 150,000 won profit on 1 million won sales. Business is so bad that I understand why store owners post photos of thieves even though it’s illegal."

However, legal experts warn that posting photos of suspects inside and outside stores, thereby labeling them as thieves, can lead to legal punishment for defamation.

In fact, in March, Judge Gong Woo-jin of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 14 fined store owner Mr. A (43) 300,000 won for posting a photo of a child who stole Pok?mon cards from his unmanned store on the entrance door.

The court ruled that the store owner defamed the child by making the photo, which showed the victim’s face and the act of putting items into a bag, visible to an unspecified number of people.

Attorney Lee Ji-hoon of Hwarang Law Office explained, "Even if personal details of the thief are not included in the post, specificity is established because in a local commercial area, posting a photo on the entrance allows neighbors to recognize the person."

He added, "It is important to refrain from labeling suspects as thieves before investigations are complete. Publicly sharing photos of individuals suspected of crimes can be seen as an act driven by revenge."