Despite Repeated Stabbings... Convenience Stores Remain 'Crime Blind Spots'

Most Work Alone... Easily Targeted by Crime During Late Night Hours
Security Systems Still Inadequate Due to Non-Mandatory Installation of Reporting Systems
Experts: "Safety Education Must Be Strengthened to Encourage Voluntary Adoption of Reporting Systems"

At 12:02 AM on May 18, 2019, A (then 38 years old, red circle) was wielding a weapon at a convenience store clerk (left) in Nam-gu, Busan. A also attacked two convenience store customers with the weapon before being apprehended by the police. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Recently, an incident occurred at a convenience store in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, where a customer, enraged by an employee's request to wear a mask, repeatedly struck the employee's head with wine bottles displayed in the store. The employee was reported to have sustained injuries requiring three weeks of medical treatment.

Similarly, in June last year, a CCTV video was released showing a couple visiting a convenience store in Gwangsan, Gwangju, verbally abusing, cursing, and assaulting a staff member in their 20s, sparking public outrage. Given these circumstances, concerns have been raised that safety measures to protect convenience store night shift workers remain insufficient.

The convenience store industry mostly operates on a 24-hour shift basis with single-person shifts. Even during the vulnerable late-night hours, the work format remains unchanged, necessitating more meticulous security systems. However, due to differing security systems among convenience store brands and local governments, some stores fall into so-called security blind spots.

Major domestic convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) each have different security systems. CU has its own reporting system called the 'One-Touch Emergency Reporting System,' whereas GS25 and 7-Eleven operate different reporting systems depending on the local government jurisdiction of the store.

BGF Retail, which operates the CU brand, introduced the industry's first 'One-Touch Emergency Reporting System' in 2017 by adding an 'emergency report' function to the payment terminal (POS). The 'One-Touch Emergency Reporting System' allows police dispatch when the 'report button' on the POS is pressed for more than three seconds during an emergency. Additionally, a 'CCTV-linked notification system' is in place, which sends real-time video information from the store's CCTV to the store owner and employees when an incident occurs.

Inside view of a convenience store. Convenience store workers are reportedly easily exposed to various crimes due to differing security systems across stores. [Image source=Yonhap News]

GS25 and 7-Eleven have adopted and operate the 'Handaleum System' provided by the National Police Agency. However, since it is not mandatory, some stores still do not have the 'Handaleum System' in operation. The 'Handaleum System' is a no-dialing reporting system where lifting the handset from the phone automatically reports to the police after seven seconds.

With different security systems operating by brand, some local governments also operate emergency bells, foot bells, NFC, and other systems in addition to the Handaleum System, causing further confusion. Consequently, calls for the introduction of a standardized reporting system are growing louder.

In particular, there are criticisms that problems arise because the operation of security systems is not legally mandated. Previously, in 2018, a part-time worker at a PC bang in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, was stabbed over 80 times with a weapon, leading to criticism that safety measures for night workers in PC bangs and convenience stores were inadequate.

At that time, the National Assembly proposed a set of bills known as the 'Night Part-Time Job 4 Laws' to protect night workers exposed to various crimes. The bills included amendments to the △Industrial Safety and Health Act △Urban and Residential Environment Maintenance Act (Urban Maintenance Act) △Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act (Disaster Safety Act) △Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act (Franchise Business Act).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Among these, the amendment to the 'Industrial Safety and Health Act' focuses on enabling workers to quickly call the police in case of an accident. It mandates the establishment of an emergency dispatch system linked with the police, imposing an obligation on employers to protect workers' safety. It also includes expanding the reporting systems currently operated independently by some local governments and workplaces to all workplaces.

The amendment to the 'Franchise Business Act' proposes requiring franchise headquarters to mandatorily subscribe to safety insurance for part-time workers. Since most 24-hour businesses are franchises such as convenience stores, fast-food outlets, and PC bangs, this legal measure aims to ensure that headquarters can compensate franchise store workers for crime-related damages.

However, during the 20th National Assembly, the 'Night Part-Time Job 4 Laws,' including the two amendments above, failed to pass and were discarded upon the expiration of the assembly's term, leaving night workers still unprotected by law.

Experts suggest encouraging the adoption of reporting systems through enhanced safety education. Professor Oh Yoonseong of the Department of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University emphasized, "Efforts should be made through education so that franchise store owners become aware that reporting systems like the 'Handaleum System' are in operation," adding, "Local governments should also encourage voluntary adoption of reporting systems by store owners through continuous patrols and education."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.