"To Charge Her Phone"... Woman Unplugs Freezer at Self-Service Store, Melting Ice Cream - What Happened?

Unauthorized Use of Electricity May Constitute Theft
Conviction Can Carry Up to Six Years in Prison or a Fine of Up to 10 Million Won

At a self-service ice cream shop, a woman unplugged a freezer to charge her phone and left without plugging it back in, causing all the ice cream in the store to melt.

A customer at an unmanned ice cream store reportedly unplugged a freezer to charge their phone and left without plugging it back in, causing all the ice cream to melt. Social media screenshot.

On October 10, a post titled "A New Kind of Menace at a Self-Service Ice Cream Shop" appeared on social media. It included a warning sign posted in the store and footage from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera.

The sign read, "Complaint filed for business obstruction: Freezer power turned off to charge a cell phone," and explained that the ice cream had melted and could no longer be sold.

The released CCTV footage shows a woman placing her phone on top of a freezer to charge it. She reportedly left the store without plugging the freezer back in.

The owner of the unmanned store said they had thrown away all the ice cream. Social media screenshot.

The person who posted the footage said, "She turned off the freezer, charged her phone, and ran off," adding, "All the ice cream in the store melted, so we had to throw it all away. We are currently pursuing a complaint for business obstruction."

Online commenters responded, "Even if she was in a hurry to charge her phone, she should have plugged the freezer back in," "She lacks basic common sense," and "This is clearly business obstruction."

There have been other cases of people using electricity without permission or turning off freezers at self-service stores. In March 2022, a woman in her 60s was indicted on charges including cutting power to a freezer at a self-service store in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, causing about 500,000 won worth of ice cream to melt. In December 2025, she was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for one year.

In September 2025, an image posted on social media showed that someone had unplugged a freezer at a self-service ice cream shop and connected what appeared to be a battery for an electric scooter used for camping and other purposes, along with a vehicle inverter, sparking controversy.

A battery being charged without authorization at an unmanned store last September. Screenshot from an online community.

Using electricity without permission at someone else's business may constitute theft, depending on the circumstances. Under current criminal law, electricity is considered property, and anyone convicted of theft may face up to six years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.

Meanwhile, as complaints about self-service stores have continued to increase, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission issued a "public complaint alert" in April 2026. The commission analyzed 2,748 complaints related to self-service stores collected by its complaint information analysis system from April 2022 to March 2025. It found that the average number of complaints per month in 2025 was 103, or 1.91 times the figure for 2022.

The main complaints involved reports of theft or damage to goods at self-service stores, food hygiene concerns, and everyday inconveniences related to store facilities. In particular, complaints cited cases of people using store electricity without permission, such as eating outside food or charging phones at self-service cafes without ordering a drink. In response, the commission proposed improvements to relevant agencies, including measures to prevent crime at self-service stores, stronger hygiene management, and more effective facility management.

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