"Are Police Becoming Private Security Firms?" Unmanned Stores Increasing Public Safety Burden

Unmanned Stores Becoming Crime Targets:
Theft Cases Triple in Four Years

Police Resources Further Stretched by Disorderly Conduct

Store Owners' Savings on Management Translates Into a Public Safety Burden

#In June of this year, a man in his 60s was arrested by the police in Dongjak District, Seoul, after committing theft at an unmanned store on 70 occasions. Over 60 items, including stuffed animals and stationery, were confiscated, with damages totaling up to 1 million won. However, the case still has not been formally investigated. A police official explained, "The store owner is currently overseas while the store remains open, so we have not been able to confirm the damage or the owner's intention to press charges, and the case remains at the preliminary inquiry stage."

#On the night of the 14th, an unmanned claw machine arcade in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, turned into a space for intoxicated individuals. Drunken people sprawled throughout the facility, occupying seats, but no one intervened. In front of another nearby unmanned claw machine arcade, men sat in a row, smoking cigarettes. A police official commented, "When drunken people fight or cause problems, there is no manager to stop them, so the police have to resolve the situation themselves."

On the night of the 14th, intoxicated individuals occupied the interior of an unmanned store in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, or smoked cigarettes at the entrance, effectively leaving the store unattended. Photo by Ji-ye Lee

Unmanned stores without on-site managers are becoming targets for various crimes and disturbances, such as theft, property damage, and disorderly conduct by intoxicated individuals. As store owners save on management expenses, the gap is repeatedly filled by police responding to calls made to 112. There are growing concerns that the expansion of unmanned stores is increasing the burden on public security.

According to the National Police Agency on August 18, the number of theft cases at unmanned stores increased from 3,514 in 2021 to 6,018 in 2022, 10,847 in 2023, 10,769 in 2024, and a provisional total of 11,015 cases last year. Taking into account reports that are not classified as criminal cases—such as disturbances involving intoxicated individuals or unauthorized overnight stays by drunk individuals or the homeless, which still require police presence—the strain on police resources caused by unmanned stores is estimated to be even greater.

The vulnerability of the business model is a key underlying reason unmanned stores are becoming targets of crime. Many stores are open 24 hours a day, year-round, but do not have on-site staff. With cash frequently stored inside machines like bill exchangers and arcade games, they are easy targets for criminals. Because they are often located in busy nightlife districts, these spaces frequently turn into locations for disturbances or altercations among intoxicated individuals who come inside, especially late at night to escape the heat.

This has led to criticism that such stores encourage delinquency among teenagers. In April of this year, two teenagers in Nowon District, Seoul, forcibly broke open a bill exchanger at an unmanned store in the early hours, stealing over 10 million won in cash before being apprehended. Earlier, in March of this year, a group of five teenagers were caught after breaking into five unmanned claw machine arcades in Mapo District, Seoul, where they used a cutter to destroy bill exchangers and counters, stealing approximately 16 million won in cash.

On the night of the 14th, intoxicated individuals occupied the interior of an unmanned store in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, or smoked cigarettes at the entrance, effectively leaving the place unattended. Photo by Jiye Lee

A bigger issue is that the cost savings from unmanned operation are ultimately shifting the burden of security onto public resources. Issues such as crimes or disturbances resulting from reduced labor and operation costs are often handled through police emergency calls, effectively making local police play the role of store managers. Even if the losses are small, such as minor theft or simple property damage, identifying suspects requires urgent procedures and manpower similar to those used in full-scale criminal investigations, including CCTV analysis, tracing escape routes, and field interviews.

An officer from the Seoul Metropolitan Police stated, "As unmanned stores increase, the number of reports and cases we must handle has noticeably risen," adding, "Personnel who should be responding to emergency incidents are instead frequently diverted to disturbance calls from unmanned stores, and it often feels like we are acting as private security for those businesses."

There are also calls to structurally improve crime-prevention facilities. Kyungdae Kwak, professor of police administration at Dongguk University, remarked, "Even with CCTV, a considerable number of people commit crimes because they doubt they will get caught," adding, "Since the process of police dispatch, investigation, and collecting evidence inevitably strains administrative resources, it is necessary to install systems that can verify identity, such as card authentication devices."

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