Various Theft Crimes and Settlement Fee Controversy... The Chaos of 'Muin Jeompo'

Business Owners Struggle with Crime-Prone Environments
10,000 Unmanned Store Thefts Last Year... Tripled in Two Years

Recently, unmanned stores such as ice cream shops, laundromats, and convenience stores have been rapidly increasing due to labor cost savings and management convenience, but crimes inside these stores are also on the rise. Unmanned stores operated without clerks are environments prone to crime because, aside from CCTV installation, it is difficult to implement proper preventive measures. Theft crimes involving stealing cash from kiosk registers and various goods are continuing.

In an unmanned store in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, a notice stating "In case of theft or robbery, the police will be notified" is posted along with a photo of the thief captured on CCTV.
[Photo by Yeom Dayeon]

On the 11th, an incident occurred at an unmanned ice cream shop in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, where a man used scissors to pry open a kiosk register and steal cash. From the 7th to the 9th, in Cheongju and Sejong, a group of three people in their 20s roamed 11 unmanned stores during late-night hours, damaging cash registers with screwdrivers and hammers to steal 1.9 million won before being caught and eventually sent to the prosecution. Also, in July, a high school student in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, was caught by the police after stealing about 330,000 won from three unmanned stores.

Store owners are troubled by these repeated theft crimes. At an unmanned store in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, visited on the 23rd, various notices were densely posted, ranging from warnings that non-payment would be reported to the police's theft prevention messages. A photo enlarging the image of a thief caught on CCTV was posted with the phrase "Apprehended, sent to prosecution." Kim (45), who operates the store, said, "I run three stores, and there are several habitual thieves who eat without paying every day, so I have reported to the police about seven times in the past year and a half." He added, "After posting the reports, repeated thefts seem to have decreased a lot recently, but at first, it was very stressful."

In fact, the number of theft cases in unmanned stores is rapidly increasing. According to the National Police Agency, the number of theft incidents in unmanned stores last year reached 10,847. Compared to 2021 (March to December), when related statistics began to be collected, it has more than tripled in two years. Considering cases where police were not reported due to small amounts, the actual theft damage in unmanned stores is estimated to be even greater.

The continuous crimes in unmanned stores are also increasing the workload of the police. A police official said, "The number of theft cases related to unmanned stores is increasing," adding, "Even if it is a small amount of a few thousand won, the same investigation is conducted as with other crimes, so the time required inevitably increases." He added, "If security systems such as access authentication or unmanned security systems are strengthened, related crimes could decrease."

Meanwhile, some voices claim that unmanned stores do not actively take measures to prevent theft because of 'settlement money business.' Even if theft damage occurs, they report to the police and receive an amount several times the damage to cover the profit. Ahn Byung-chan, a lawyer at Indo Law Office, explained, "Recently, even very small amounts have led many unmanned store owners to consult on cases, which seems to be called 'settlement money business.' Since the damage amount itself is not large, most cases demand settlements about 20 to 30 times the damage."

However, store owners argue that "cases demanding excessive settlement money are very rare." Lee (54), who operates unmanned stores, said, "If you report to the police, a criminal record remains, so perpetrators usually bring up settlement talks first," adding, "When settling, they usually receive about 100,000 to 300,000 won." He continued, "There are stories about demanding a million won in settlements, but while some owners might do that, most do not," and added, "To run a settlement money business, you would have to report dozens of cases a month, but except for habitual cases, most owners either catch the perpetrators themselves or let it go."

Experts emphasize the need to enforce systems for crime prevention such as theft. Lee Yun-ho, a distinguished professor in the Department of Police Science at Korea Cyber University, suggested, "Instead of allowing anyone to easily enter the store as it is now, methods to verify customers' identities should be devised." He added, "Although there may be cost burdens, installing such systems could be beneficial in the long term." Professor Lee also said, "There are limits to police patrols and investigations, so efforts by store owners for prevention are necessary."