"'Such a Thing in South Korea... A Shocking Moment': Foreign Media Stunned by Woman's Sudden Act"

Unplugs Freezer at Unmanned Store to Charge Phone
The Sun Spotlights a "Shocking Moment"

The actions of a woman who unplugged a freezer and left it that way to charge her phone at an unattended ice cream store in South Korea were reported even by the British press. South Korean internet users have responded by saying she has brought shame on the country.

A woman at an unmanned store in South Korea turned off a freezer to charge her battery. Screenshot from an online community.

Freezer Unplugged to Charge Phone... All Ice Cream Spoiled

On October 12, the British newspaper The Sun reported on an incident at an unattended ice cream store in South Korea, describing footage of the woman unplugging a freezer as a "shocking moment." It also reported that the ice cream inside the freezer melted and could no longer be sold, and that the store was preparing to take legal action.

The incident came to light on October 11, when a post from someone claiming to have suffered losses was uploaded to a South Korean online community. The poster said they would file a complaint against the woman, alleging business obstruction after she caused all the store's products to melt.

CCTV footage released alongside the post showed a woman wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt and black pants unplugging a freezer to charge her phone. Even after charging her phone, she left the store without plugging the freezer back in.

With the power supply cut off, all the ice cream inside the freezer melted and could no longer be sold. The store owner posted notices at the store saying "Report for business obstruction," "Unplugged the freezer to charge her phone and left," and "Ice cream melted; sales restricted," and announced plans to take legal action.

Criticism Accompanied by Calls to Examine Store's Management Responsibility

Internet users criticized the woman, saying, "How could anyone even think of unplugging the power cord?" and "I hope she is properly punished." Others, however, said the store's management system should also be examined, since it took time to notice that the freezer had been unplugged, even though it was an unattended store.

The Sun also reported on a similar incident at an unattended ice cream store in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, in 2022. At the time, a woman in her 60s unplugged a freezer, causing about 497,196 won worth of ice cream to melt, the newspaper reported.

As similar incidents continue to occur, calls are growing for management systems that can detect problems at unattended stores early and minimize damage. Some say store owners should take preventive measures and customers should also act responsibly.

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