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Man arrested for allegedly stealing gift certificates he 'borrowed' from fellow vendor

Published: 21 Aug. 2025, 20:29

A police logo [YONHAP]

A man in his 50s was arrested for allegedly "borrowing" 3 billion won ($2.14 million) worth of gift certificates from a fellow vendor and running away.

According to the Gangnam Police Precinct on Thursday, the suspect, who sells gift certificates, is being investigated on suspicion of theft.

On Monday at around 1 p.m., the man allegedly borrowed a bag containing 6,000 gift certificates worth 500,000 won each from another gift card vendor at an office building in Gangnam.

The man reportedly told the victim, “I need to have physical certificates to gain customers’ trust,” and persuaded him to lend them temporarily. The suspect then vanished with the certificates, according to police.

The victim filed a complaint shortly after the incident, prompting police to track down the suspect. He was apprehended the next morning at 10 a.m. in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu District, Incheon.

The police are investigating the suspect’s motive and whether he committed similar offenses.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]