A video capturing the actions of a woman who took six shared umbrellas placed for neighbors without umbrellas during the rainy season has sparked outrage among netizens. Shockingly, the woman also took the umbrella stand and tore down the notice posted on the wall before disappearing.
On the 29th, a 23-second video accompanied by a post titled "You will feel anger rising if you watch until the end" was uploaded on Instagram and online communities.
According to the video, the author, who works in the beauty industry, said, "I left work feeling good after placing umbrellas to share with people on the same floor during the unpredictable weather." They placed six black umbrellas next to the elevator in front of the office and posted a notice on the wall that read, "If you need an umbrella, please feel free to take one." However, the author lamented, "My goodwill was shattered."
A woman who took all the free sharing umbrellas and tore up the notice. [Photo by Online Community Screenshot]
In the next scene, a woman appears and takes all six umbrellas before disappearing. Although her face is pixelated in the video, the author explained, "I was horrified by the expression behind the mosaic," calling it "the devil's smile." The woman then returned to where the umbrellas had been. Contrary to the hope that she might just be returning them, she took the umbrella stand from the floor and disappeared again. Shortly after, the woman came back once more, this time tearing down the notice on the wall and taking it away before leaving.
Upon releasing this video, the author expressed, "After watching the CCTV, I realized that not everyone’s heart is like mine," and added, "I was so upset that I cried yesterday." They said, "At first, I thought she took them all at once to share with colleagues in the same office," but confessed, "No matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, I feel upset and cannot understand it."
Netizens who saw the story responded with comments such as, "Don’t expect anything. Human greed is strong," "People like that should have their faces revealed," and "It’s grotesque beyond ugliness." Some also doubted the author, commenting, "This is a staged video for YouTube," and "It seems like viral marketing."
Attorney Lee Junheon of the law firm Serim stated, "The theft of the umbrellas and umbrella stand, as well as the destruction of the notice, could constitute criminal offenses." He explained, "Even if she claimed she intended to share with her group, taking the umbrella stand and tearing down the notice clearly shows intent to steal."
Theft is a serious crime punishable by up to six years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won. Since it is neither a complaint-based crime nor a crime requiring the victim’s consent to prosecute, punishment is possible even if the victim withdraws the complaint or does not wish for prosecution. Property damage is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won. The attorney added, "If the woman simply disliked the free sharing or did not want strange people coming, removing the umbrellas might only constitute property damage."
There are Supreme Court precedents where individuals were fined for taking free newspapers distributed in places like subways or government offices in bulk. In 2009, Mr. A (40), who took 25 copies of a local newspaper from a newsstand in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, was fined 500,000 won for theft. In 2015, Judge Heo Jeongryong of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Mr. B (59) to a 1 million won fine for theft after he took 34 free newspapers. Free newspapers are also considered someone else’s property, and if taken excessively beyond socially acceptable limits and stopped, theft charges can be applied.
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