Mr. A (34), who lives in a villa in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, recently experienced the theft of a parcel worth about 500,000 won. Although he reported it to the police, he was told that the perpetrator could not be identified. This was because the security cameras in the area did not capture anyone carrying the parcel box. Mr. A expressed his frustration, saying, "I wanted to treat myself to something nice for once, so I bought expensive clothes online. I never imagined they would be stolen."

As Korea enters the era of 6 billion parcel boxes delivered annually, damages caused by parcel theft are also on the rise.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency on September 1, the number of complaints related to parcel and cargo delivery services reached 1,209 last year, up 33.4% from 2022. This is attributed to the sheer volume of parcel deliveries in Korea, which reached 5,956.34 million (according to the National Logistics Integrated Information Center) last year. This year, the figure is expected to exceed 6 billion.

Since COVID-19, non-face-to-face delivery has become the norm, making parcels left in front of apartment doors frequent targets for crime. In particular, older corridor-style apartments often lack security cameras in the hallways. Mr. B (67), a security guard at an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul, said, "A few years ago, we held a meeting to discuss installing hallway security cameras due to parcel theft incidents, but the plan was scrapped because some residents objected, citing privacy concerns."

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There have also been cases where parcels left at security offices are targeted. Since security guards are not legally obligated to manage parcels, some take advantage of moments when the guard is away to steal parcels, or exploit loopholes such as only requiring a signature or other superficial confirmation before taking the items.

If a parcel has been delivered as scheduled, it is realistically difficult to hold the delivery company responsible for theft. Delivery companies provide proof of delivery, such as photo verification or notification messages, at the time of completion.

In the past, parcel theft typically involved small amounts, but as luxury goods and other expensive items are increasingly purchased online, the scale of damages is growing. As a result, some single-person households and office workers designate their workplace address or public unmanned parcel lockers as the delivery location.

Ms. C (37), an office worker living alone in Mapo-gu, Seoul, recently ordered a luxury necklace online and set her workplace in Jung-gu, Seoul as the delivery address. Chae Sanghyun (37), who lives in Daegu, said, "I installed a door camera to prevent parcel theft. Even if I am away from home for a long time while a parcel is at my door, I feel at ease."

Lee Unghyuk, a professor in the Department of Police Science at Konkuk University, advised, "As online shopping becomes routine and parcel volumes increase, theft cases are bound to rise as well. For expensive items, the most practical preventive measures are to receive them in person or to install personal security devices such as CCTV or door cameras."