Theft and Drunken Disturbances... 'Unmanned Stores' Become Hotbeds of Various Crimes

Over 80% Increase in Theft Cases Over One Year
Various Incidents Due to Weak Security

Last October, late at night, photos showing teenagers lying down in an unmanned ice cream shop using their smartphones were posted online.
[Photo by Online Community Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Recently, as unmanned stores have increased mainly in the food service industry, related crimes have also been on the rise. Theft incidents have surged by more than 80% over the past year.

The number of stores operating with kiosks or unmanned management systems is steadily increasing. The scope of unmanned stores, which used to be limited to places like unmanned motels or claw machine arcades, has expanded to convenience stores and cafes. These stores are introducing various unmanned services such as serving robots, delivery robots, unmanned pickup systems, unmanned sales systems, and unmanned cooking systems. Currently, it is reported that more than 6,000 unmanned stores are operating in Seoul.

The increase in unmanned stores is analyzed as a result of the normalization of contactless consumption following the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the recent rise in the minimum wage is known to be a major cause of the increase in unmanned stores. The minimum wage for next year was set at 9,620 won per hour, a 5% increase from this year, which has increased labor costs for the convenience store industry.

According to the industry, hybrid stores that operate unmanned only during specific hours increased from 434 in 2020 to 2,636 this year. The number of 24-hour unmanned stores also rose from 52 in 2020 to 120 this year.

Around 11 p.m. on May 19, a man estimated to be in his 30s to 40s was stealing refrigerated food items at an unmanned meal kit convenience store in Tanhyeon-dong, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si. To avoid leaving fingerprints, he held the refrigerator handle with the end of his sleeve.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In this situation, the incidence of theft crimes targeting unmanned stores also appears to be increasing. On May 30, two middle school students, including A (15), were caught by the police after damaging the cash register and attempting to steal money at an unmanned ice cream store in Buk-gu, Ulsan.

At the time, a nearby store owner who was returning home witnessed their crime and reported it to the police. When the police arrived, A and others sprayed powder from a fire extinguisher inside, making a mess of the store.

In April, three people including B (18) were arrested by the police for robbing 16 unmanned stores in the Yongin and Hwaseong areas of Gyeonggi Province. In February, two individuals including C (17) were caught stealing dumplings and beverages from an unmanned store in Incheon.

Besides theft cases involving teenagers, there have been many reports of property damage and public intoxication disturbances. On the 7th of last month, an incident was reported where a young woman defecated and fled from a claw machine arcade in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. The business owner said they had to hire a cleaning company at a cost of several hundred thousand won and suffered losses due to disrupted operations. In October last year, photos showing teenagers lying down and using smartphones at an unmanned ice cream store late at night were posted online, causing controversy.

Security company S-1 analyzed big data from client unmanned stores from January 2020 to last month and found that the theft crime rate increased by 85.7% last year. The largest age group of thieves was teenagers, accounting for 34.8%. The number of crimes by day of the week showed that Saturdays and Sundays accounted for 43.4% of the total. The time period with the highest crime rate was between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m., accounting for 39.1%.

Experts analyze that this is because, depending on the characteristics of unmanned stores, there are few unmanned stores equipped with security systems other than closed-circuit television (CCTV). Due to the lack of staff monitoring the store interior, these stores are inevitably vulnerable to crime. Even if there is CCTV, suspects can evade identification by wearing masks or other face coverings, and the inability to respond immediately after an incident is also a problem.

Experts emphasize that unmanned stores will continue to increase due to the advantages of no labor costs and convenient operation, and both the industry and investigative authorities must work hard to prevent crimes.

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