Bundle of 30 Million Won Checks Found on Roadside... Owner Search Hits Dead End

Discovered on a roadside in Inchang-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province

Two 10 million won checks and ten 1 million won checks

A bundle of cashier's checks worth 30 million won was discovered on a roadside in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, but the owner of the checks has yet to come forward. The police, with the cooperation of the bank, attempted to track down the issuer, but the supposed issuer denied having issued the checks, deepening the mystery.

According to the Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency and other sources on July 22, at around 10 a.m. on the 10th, a bundle of checks totaling 30 million won was found on a roadside in front of a fruit store in Inchang-dong, Guri. The checks consisted of two 10 million won checks and ten 1 million won checks. It was reported that a man passing by discovered the bundle and notified the police.

Typically, unlike cash, checks retain records of issuance and transactions, making it easier to trace the owner. However, that is not the case this time. First, the police traced the issuing bank using the information written on the checks and confirmed that the checks had been issued at Bank A on November 12 last year. The police then sought the cooperation of the bank to identify the original issuer of the checks. However, the initial issuer—a woman in her seventies—told the police that she had no recollection of issuing the checks and that she had not visited Guri recently. Furthermore, there were no endorsements on the back of the checks, making it difficult to track down the actual owner. An endorsement refers to the procedure of writing one's name, contact information, and resident registration number on the back of a cashier's check when transferring it to another person, cashing it at a bank, or depositing it into a bank account.

According to the current Lost Property Enforcement Ordinance, if the rightful owner of found property does not come forward within six months of its receipt, ownership is transferred to the finder. If the finder does not claim ownership within three months after the transfer, the property is then turned over to the national treasury.

Meanwhile, to prepare for such incidents involving lost checks, it is advisable to record the check’s serial number, issuing bank, and branch at the time of issuance, or take photos of them so that issues can be resolved quickly in case of loss. If a check is lost, it is also best to immediately report the loss to the issuing bank’s customer center and file a report with the police to minimize potential damage.

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