Rise of 6 Billion Parcels a Year in Korea
Online Shopping and Contactless Delivery Become the Norm
Mr. A (34), who lives in a villa in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, recently experienced the theft of a parcel worth about 500,000 won. Although he reported the incident to the police, he was told that the culprit could not be identified. This was because the perpetrator was not captured on any nearby CCTV carrying the parcel box. Mr. A expressed his frustration, saying, "I wanted to treat myself for once and bought some expensive clothes online, but I never imagined they would be stolen."
As the annual number of parcel boxes in Korea is expected to surpass 6 billion, damages caused by parcel theft are also on the rise.
According to the Korea Consumer Agency on the 1st, the number of complaints filed regarding parcel and freight transport services reached 1,209 cases last year, a 33.4% increase compared to 2022. This is largely due to the absolute increase in the volume of domestic parcels, which totaled 5.95634 billion last year (according to the National Logistics Integrated Information Center). This year, the number is expected to exceed 6 billion.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless delivery has become commonplace, making parcel boxes left in front of doors prime targets for crime. In particular, most older corridor-style apartment buildings do not have CCTV installed in the hallways. Mr. B (67), a security guard at an apartment complex in Nowon-gu, Seoul, said, "A few years ago, we held a meeting to discuss installing hallway CCTV in response to parcel thefts, but the plan was scrapped due to opposition from residents concerned about privacy invasion."
There are also cases where parcels left at security offices are targeted. Since security guards have no legal obligation to manage parcels, thieves may take advantage of moments when the guard is away or exploit procedural loopholes, such as only requiring a signature, to steal packages.
If the delivery was completed properly, it is realistically difficult to hold the courier company responsible for parcel theft. Courier companies provide proof of delivery, such as photo confirmation and notification messages, at the time of delivery completion.
In the past, parcel thefts often involved small amounts, but as luxury goods and other high-value items are increasingly purchased online, the scale of damages is growing. As a result, some single-person households and office workers are designating their workplace address or public unmanned parcel lockers as their delivery location.
Ms. C (37), an office worker living alone in Mapo-gu, Seoul, recently ordered a luxury necklace online and set her delivery address to her workplace in Jung-gu, Seoul. Mr. Chae Sanghyeon (37), who lives in Daegu, said, "To prevent parcel theft, I installed a door camera. Even if I am away from home for a long time while the parcel is at my door, I feel at ease."
Lee Woonghyuk, a professor in the Department of Police Administration at Konkuk University, advised, "As online shopping has become a part of daily life and parcel volumes have increased, it is inevitable that theft incidents will also rise. For expensive items, the most practical preventive measures are to receive them in person or to install personal security devices such as CCTV or door cameras."
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