"Delivery Has Arrived" I Opened the Door Without Thinking... Beware of 'Delivery Person Disguise' Crimes

Crimes Impersonating Delivery Workers Like Couriers Increase... Single-Person Households and Women Feel 'Unsafe'
Kim Taehyun, Who Stalked and Killed Three Women, Also Disguised as a Quick Service Worker
Need for Preventive Measures Such as Installing 'Unmanned Parcel Lockers' and 'CCTV'

Recently, crimes impersonating delivery drivers have been occurring one after another, causing citizens to express anxiety. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] Recently, crimes impersonating delivery workers or couriers have been on the rise, increasing public anxiety. Since brutal crimes such as murder could potentially occur, voices are calling for measures to create a safer delivery environment.

On the 26th of last month, a man in his 30s, Mr. A, disguised himself as a courier and broke into an apartment in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. It was investigated that Mr. A followed an elementary school student returning home, told the child that a delivery had arrived to get the door opened, and then entered the house.

Mr. A reportedly tied up the child who was alone, threatened with a weapon, and called the parents demanding 100 million won. He stole the child's mobile phone and about 100,000 won in cash from inside the house before fleeing, but was caught by the police on the same day. The child was not physically injured but received psychological counseling due to mental shock.

This so-called 'delivery worker impersonation crime' is not the only recent case. Kim Taehyun, the perpetrator of the 'Nowon-gu Kim Taehyun stalking murder case,' who stalked and eventually killed a woman he met in an online game, as well as her mother and younger sister, was also found to have disguised himself as a quick service courier to break into the house.

At the time of the crime, Kim Taehyun reportedly waited outside until the victim's younger sister, who was inside the house, placed an item at the door. Holding a weapon, he waited until the victim opened the door and then pushed inside the house.

Kim Tae-hyun, accused of murdering the 'three mothers' in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Kim Tae-hyun disguised himself as a quick service delivery worker to break into the victim's home at the time.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The fact that the perpetrator did not just impersonate a delivery worker but waited until the victim came out to get the item shows that the methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In this case, one of the crime prevention measures, 'contactless delivery,' is ineffective. If the perpetrator meticulously plans and waits until the victim goes outside, the victim is left defenseless against the crime.

Concerns among women and single-person households are growing due to the ongoing delivery worker impersonation crimes. Graduate student Jo (25), who lives alone with a female friend, said, "I was shocked to read that Kim Taehyun waited outside until the victim came out. It made me scared, thinking that such crimes are unavoidable. It makes me especially cautious when using delivery services."

University student Lee (24), who lives near campus, also expressed, "I usually tear up delivery slips before throwing them away to protect my personal information, but with these incidents continuing, my fear has grown."

Some voices suggest that, at least as a temporary measure, the effectiveness of unmanned delivery lockers should be enhanced to establish a safer delivery receipt environment. The idea is to cultivate a culture of receiving packages through unmanned lockers so that citizens become suspicious of deliveries that come directly to their homes. While this may not be a fundamental solution to eradicate delivery worker impersonation crimes, it is argued as a minimal preventive measure.

A citizen is receiving an item from an unmanned secure parcel locker.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The problem is that although the installation of unmanned delivery lockers is already underway as part of local government projects, their convenience is lacking, resulting in low usage rates. The women’s safety unmanned delivery lockers operated by Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province are a typical example. These lockers were introduced to prevent crimes such as courier impersonation and to alleviate the inconvenience of package receipt for single-person households.

From April 2019 to November last year, a total of 20 lockers have been operated, but their effectiveness has been questioned, with some calling it a 'failed policy.' Looking at the locations of the lockers, they are mainly situated in public parking lots, libraries, and community centers. From the recipient’s perspective, it is inconvenient to go far away to pick up heavy packages, so receiving them near home is preferred.

In the same year, Bucheon City Council member Hong Jina stated, "In 2019, one compartment of the women’s safety delivery locker was used an average of 1.6 times per month, and as of June 2020, it was used 4 times per month. Instead of maintaining these lockers, if the budget were used to support installation in front of citizens’ homes for easier access, 240 unmanned delivery lockers could be installed annually."

Experts have suggested that a safe delivery environment can be created through unmanned delivery lockers. Professor Oh Yunseong of the Department of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University said, "Initially, the primary prevention method was not to open the door and to say, 'Please leave it at the door,' but in the case of Kim Taehyun, this method did not work. Using unmanned delivery lockers could be a preventive measure." He added, "If possible, installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) could also be considered."

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