Near Euljiro 4-ga in Jung-gu, Seoul, 50,000 won bills were scattered, drawing crowds of citizens eager to pick them up. This was not a movie shoot or an AI-generated video; it was a real event.

On December 2, 2025, numerous posts and photos about this incident were uploaded to various social networking services (SNS). One user described the situation, saying, "I saw a 50,000 won bill on the ground, and when I looked at the road, there were a lot more. As if possessed, I went onto the road and started picking them up, and even the cars stopped and waited."

The situation posted by an Instagram user at the time. Instagram capture

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Another user said, "I picked them all up and handed them to a police officer. I heard someone scattered them from a bus," adding, "People nearby also informed the police about the situation. I'm curious about the story behind this."

It was later confirmed that this incident was not caused by someone intentionally throwing cash, but rather by a person who accidentally dropped the money while crossing the crosswalk.

A police official told Yonhap News, "A citizen crossing the crosswalk dropped a large amount of cash from their pocket. It was more than 10 million won," adding, "The individual explained that the money was needed for work purposes, and since there was no suspicion of a crime, they were allowed to return home."

In such situations, picking up and keeping the money can result in charges of misappropriation of lost property. According to Article 360 of the Criminal Act, anyone who misappropriates lost property, drift property, or property that has left another person's possession can face up to one year in prison or a fine or penalty of up to 3 million won.