Exclusive: Three teens sent to prosecutors after raiding 14 unmanned stores, stealing W6.25m

Three teenagers have been sent to prosecutors after sweeping through 14 unmanned stores and stealing millions of won in cash along with two motorcycles, which they used to ride between targets across Seoul and Incheon.

The Seoul Western Police Station referred the three juveniles to prosecutors on Sept. 21 on charges of aggravated theft, attempted aggravated theft and attempted aggravated property destruction. One of the three was referred while in detention.

The suspects are accused of traveling through Eunpyeong-gu and Mapo-gu in Seoul and parts of Incheon from Sept. 14 to 18, using scissors and hammers to smash unmanned payment kiosks at unstaffed stores — including unmanned ice cream shops — and stealing 6.25 million won ($4,660) in cash stored inside. A total of 14 stores have been confirmed as victims so far. The teenagers are also believed to have stolen two motorcycles valued at 6.1 million won.

Unmanned stores, which are frequently visited by young people, have long been flagged as vulnerable to theft because no staff are present during operating hours, prompting repeated calls for effective preventive measures.

A report by the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice found that juvenile offenders in unmanned-store theft cases committed an average of 12.1 offenses each — about 1.7 times the adult average of 6.9. The share of cases involving two or more accomplices was also far higher among juveniles at 92.3 percent, compared with 10.4 percent for adults.

A police official said that beyond reviewing footage after the fact, stores need to invest in security infrastructure capable of deterring crime before it occurs. "Installing sturdy locks on cash-holding kiosks and taking similarly straightforward security steps can go a long way toward preventing this kind of crime," the official said.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Western Police Station held a meeting with Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ju-min, who represents Eunpyeong-gu Gap, and Eunpyeong-gu council member Kim Yun-hee to discuss drafting a local ordinance on safety management for unmanned stores. Station Chief Park Jeong-hun said complaints and crimes tied to unmanned stores show no sign of letting up, and that police resources are being stretched as a result. "We need to go beyond responding after crimes occur and put in place genuinely effective preventive measures," he said.

Police plan to work with the National Assembly and local councils to draft an ordinance covering surveys of unmanned stores, coordination among relevant agencies and safety management recommendations for business operators, with the aim of addressing the security vulnerabilities that make such stores easy targets.