Frozen Food Left in Open Freezer at Unmanned Store
150,000 Won Worth of Frozen Food Thawed Over 90 Minutes
Store Owner Clashes with Child's Mother Over Compensation
Child's Mother Posts on SNS While Compensation Amount Is Discussed
At an unmanned store, after a child took out an ice cup and closed the freezer door, the door slightly opened due to rebound, causing the frozen food inside to thaw. On the 11th, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported a tip from store owner A, who suffered financial damage because a boy who visited the unmanned store on the 14th of last month did not fully close the freezer door.
On the 11th, JTBC's Case Manager aired a report from store owner A, who claimed that a boy who visited an unmanned store on the 14th of last month caused financial damage by not fully closing the freezer door. In the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage released by A, two brothers enter the unmanned store. After the older brother, the younger brother opens the freezer door, takes out an ice cup, and closes the freezer door, but the door slightly reopens due to the rebound. [Photo by JTBC Case Manager]
In the CCTV footage released by A, two brothers enter the unmanned store. After the older brother, the younger brother opens the freezer door, takes out an ice cup, and closes the freezer door, but it bounces back and slightly opens. Unaware that the door was open, the brothers left the store, leaving the freezer door open for about 90 minutes. As a result, A said that about 300,000 won worth of ice cups and frozen food inside the freezer thawed.
Mr. A then proposed a compensation amount of 100,000 won, but Mr. B did not accept it. Mr. B, who was an influencer, later created a video titled "Please Make Sure to Close the Refrigerator Door in Unmanned Stores" and posted it on his Instagram, which garnered over 12 million views and attracted attention. [Photo by Instagram]
Having experienced a similar incident before, A posted a notice on the freezer saying, "Please make sure to close the door. Gently, not with a bang!" At that time, A contacted the child's mother and resolved the matter with an apology. This time, A contacted the child through the number used for payment and got in touch with the child's mother, B. A sent B the CCTV footage and explained the situation.
B said, "I'm sorry. It's awkward because the child wasn't playing around, but the door wasn't properly closed," and added, "I applied for 'personal liability insurance' with the insurance company and will inform you once I hear back." Later, B asked about the damage amount, and the tipster said that only unsellable products were counted, totaling 142,000 won. B responded, "It's inappropriate to claim the selling price. I don't think it's right to claim 100% of the fault on the child without management responsibility," and said, "Morally, more than 70,000 won would be difficult. If you want more compensation, please take legal action."
A then proposed a reduced compensation of 100,000 won, but B did not accept it. B, who was an influencer, later made a video titled 'Please Make Sure to Close the Freezer Door at Unmanned Stores' and posted it on her Instagram, which attracted attention with over 12 million views. The post included the store name operated by A and the conversation details. This video was captured and uploaded to online communities as well. When B mentioned that she was negotiating compensation with the store owner, some netizens criticized A, saying, "You're making the child out to be a thief."
After A protested, B explained to the media, "Since it's a store frequented by many children, I posted it to inform people that 'this kind of thing can happen.' I did not intend to criticize the owner." She added, "There was a previous issue with the freezer not closing properly, but I only talked about the child's fault and the amount, excluding that problem," and said, "If the owner had asked me to delete the video, I was willing to do so." The video has since been deleted.
Attorney Park Ji-hoon, who watched the video, said, "First, the parents, as legal representatives, must take responsibility for the child's actions. The issue is how much compensation should be paid," and explained, "Although significant damage occurred due to the child's fault, the store owner also has a duty to carefully monitor the store. The compensation amount should be adjusted considering the owner's negligence."
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