'Access for Everyone Without Age Verification'... Unmanned Store Selling Alcohol to Youths

Alcohol License Act Violation Charges

A 24-hour unmanned store that has been selling alcoholic beverages without separate adult verification was caught by the police.

A 24-hour unmanned store in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

On the 26th, the Mobile Patrol Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had caught a 24-hour unmanned store in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, for violating the Liquor License Act and handed the case over to the Seoul National Tax Service.

According to the police, the store did not have an adult verification device, allowing anyone to enter, and the refrigerator storing alcoholic beverages also lacked any device, making it possible for minors to purchase alcohol.

Police investigation confirmed that the store did not fall under the 'Liquor Sales Regulation Exemption' approved as a regulatory sandbox demonstration exception by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Meanwhile, the police plan to strengthen the deployment of the Mobile Patrol Unit to prevent juvenile delinquency crimes, including cracking down on two convenience stores in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, that sold cigarettes to minors on the 22nd, violating the Juvenile Protection Act.

A police official stated, "This case is the first instance of detecting illegal alcohol sales in an unmanned store. We plan to continuously inspect unauthorized forms of alcohol sales in unmanned stores through cooperation with related agencies. In particular, since selling alcohol to minors can also lead to charges under the Juvenile Protection Act, we urge self-employed business owners to strictly comply with business operator regulations."

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