"Even Younger Than My Daughter": Teenagers Spit and Swear in Convenience Store, Police Say "Difficult to Punish Minors"

Spitting on the Floor While Leaving the Convenience Store

Threatening Pedestrians Throughout Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province

Two teenage students were caught on closed-circuit TV (CCTV) spitting in a convenience store and cursing at the store owner, sparking outrage among netizens.

According to SBS News Hunters on August 4, at around 7:40 p.m. on July 17, two middle school students entered a convenience store in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. After taking drinks from the store’s refrigerator, they slammed the fridge door shut. When the owner tried to stop their disruptive behavior, they abruptly began swearing at him. As they left, they spat on the floor of the store.

The store owner told the media, "I have run my business for seven years, but I have never seen kids with such a lack of manners." He added, "I am 54 years old, and these kids are even younger than my own daughter." He continued, "I have a history of cerebral infarction, so I should avoid getting too agitated. I had to take tranquilizers that day, and I don't even know how I managed to finish work."

Teenagers who cursed at convenience store owners. Screenshot from SBS News Hunters

The owner also lamented, "In my entire life, regardless of someone's age, I have never seen anyone spit indoors before; it felt utterly humiliating."

The store owner reported the students to the police, but was told that spitting on the floor does not constitute a criminal offense. He also shared that it is difficult to punish the students for their use of abusive language because they are minors.

It is reported that the students, riding electric scooters, were already a source of controversy for previously spitting at and cursing at citizens. At that time, police arrested teenager "A" at the scene on charges of joint assault, while "B," who participated in the act, was handed over to his guardian since, at under 14 years old but over 10, he was not subject to criminal responsibility under juvenile law.

On July 26, from 5:57 p.m. over the course of approximately four hours, the two wandered throughout Pyeongtaek and are accused of spitting at and threatening a total of eight passersby, including vulnerable individuals such as senior citizens and pregnant women. According to reports, the teenagers testified to police that they committed the offenses "out of curiosity."

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