High schooler armed with weapon steals gold bar from jewelry shop; middle school lookout detained

A high school student who snatched a gold bar from a jewelry shop and a middle school student who served as a lookout have been arrested.

Seoul's Jongno Police Station forwarded the two suspects — identified only as high schooler A and middle schooler B — to prosecutors Friday on charges of aggravated theft.

The pair are accused of stealing a 10-don gold bar worth 7.5 million won ($5,100) from a jewelry shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 4:25 p.m. on Friday, July 17.

A asked the shop owner to show him the gold bar, then fled with it the moment it was handed over.

The shop owner chased A for about 70 meters before subduing him and turning him over to police. A was found to have been carrying a weapon in his pocket at the time of the theft.

Officers who responded to the scene searched the surrounding area and arrested B, who had been keeping watch outside the shop.

Police sought detention warrants for both suspects, but the court granted one only for B, ruling that A posed no risk of destroying evidence.