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Juvenile theft cases up 76% since 2021, with unmanned stores a key factor
2026-10-13
Police apprehended two teenagers after a string of thefts at unmanned ice cream stores in Seoul and Goyang, Gyeonggi, last December.
The pair rode a stolen motorcycle to a store in Eunpyeong District, western Seoul, around 2 a.m. on the day of the theft, broke into a kiosk and stole cash. Less than an hour later, they entered another store in Goyang and attempted unsuccessfully to steal its cash box.
“They stole somewhere between 80,000 won and 100,000 won [$60 and $75],” the owner of the Eunpyeong store said.
Youth theft cases have risen sharply, nearly doubling in four years. Experts point to the rapid spread of unmanned self-service stores as one factor behind the increase. Unmanned stores are grab-and-go style shops where customers pay for items via self-checkout kiosks with no staff on-site.
The number of juvenile offenders ages 10 to 14 who were referred to juvenile court on theft allegations jumped 76.3 percent from 5,733 in 2021 to 10,110 last year, data submitted by the Korean National Police Agency to Rep. Suh Myung-ok of the main opposition People Power Party showed on Thursday.
Children ages 10 to 14 are below the age of criminal responsibility in Korea and are referred to juvenile court rather than face criminal punishment.
The 10,110 cases of theft accounted for 4.8 percent of the total 21,095 juvenile referrals last year.
The recent surge in youth theft cases has been linked in part to a sharp rise in thefts at unmanned stores.
The number of thefts reported at unmanned stores more than tripled from 3,514 in 2021 to 11,015 in 2025.
Teenagers made up 57 percent of offenders involved in crimes at unmanned stores in Seoul from 2020 to 2022, according to a report by the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice (KICJ).
“The actual number of crimes committed by younger teenagers is likely even higher when unreported cases are taken into account,” the researchers said.
“Theft and property damage committed by juveniles below the age of criminal responsibility have surged since unmanned self-service stores began spreading in earnest,” an unnamed head of a youth and women’s crime investigation team at a police station in Seoul said.
Cases continue to surface. Two middle school students below the age of criminal responsibility were caught by police in August after stealing flowers worth 250,000 won from an unmanned flower shop in Seo District, Daejeon.
Two other juveniles rode a stolen motorcycle to a self-service store in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, in October 2024 and stole 7,200 won in cash and a wallet from a lost-and-found box. They were referred to juvenile court on aggravated theft charges.
A notable concern is that many unmanned stores operate businesses popular with young people, such as discount ice cream shops and claw machine arcades, which makes the stores particularly accessible targets.
Some 61 percent of crimes targeting unmanned stores in Seoul in 2022 occurred at discount ice cream and snack shops.
“Unmanned stores with cash and other valuables inside can become a gateway to crime for young people who have run away from home or lack sound judgment,” said Lee Woong-hyuk, a professor of police studies at Konkuk University.
Weak security at unmanned stores and relatively light consequences for juvenile offenders have also raised concerns that the stores can foster repeat offenses.
Young people who stole from unmanned stores committed an average of 12 offenses each, nearly twice the 6.9 offenses recorded among adults, according to a report by the KICJ. Some 92 percent of the cases involved two or more offenders, which has raised concerns that such behavior can spread within peer groups.
“There are even second- and third-grade elementary school students who have stolen four or five times,” an owner of an unmanned store said.
Juvenile offenders ages 10 to 14 who commit theft, however, often receive only a Level 1 protective disposition, which places them under the supervision of a parent or another guardian.
Calls are growing for more effective measures to address the rise in thefts at unmanned stores. Frequent reports of theft are straining police resources, while experts say the stores can also make youth crime easier and more accessible.
“More police patrols are important, but store owners also need to strengthen their own security measures and work with private security companies to build a cooperative crime-prevention network,” Prof. Lee said.
The lawmaker demanded stronger systematic cooperation.
“Store owners, police and local governments need to come up with effective measures to prevent the rise in youth theft as unmanned stores continue to spread,” Rep. Suh said.
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Juvenile theft cases up 76% since 2021, with unmanned stores a key factor
Police apprehended two teenagers after a string of thefts at unmanned ice cream stores in Seoul and Goyang, Gyeonggi, last December. | 2026-10-13 | 89 |
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