Middle school kid burglarizes unmanned laundry shop, mocks owner on CCTV
Published: 17 Dec. 2025, 15:59
Updated: 17 Dec. 2025, 16:11
![A middle school student poses in front of a security camera after stealing from an unmanned laundry shop in Seoul. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/17/be7ac9bc-85a5-44d2-a140-4ecc68ae7e6a.jpg)
A middle school student poses in front of a security camera after stealing from an unmanned laundry shop in Seoul. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
A middle school student repeatedly stole cash from an unmanned laundry shop in Seoul, with surveillance footage showing him returning to the store multiple times and posing in front of the camera in an apparent attempt to mock the business owner, JTBC reported Monday.
JTBC's show "Crime Chief" (2014-)'s latest tale of woe involved a laundry shop owner who has operated his establishment in Seoul for about six months.
The owner said cash kept inside a kiosk began disappearing repeatedly, prompting them to check CCTV footage installed inside the shop. When they checked the shop's CCTV footage, the owner saw a male middle school student entering the store multiple times and stealing a total of 400,000 won ($270) in cash.
After confirming the thefts, the owner reported the case to the police and placed a padlock on the kiosk to prevent further losses.
About a week later, police contacted the owner and said they had identified the suspect but classified him as a juvenile under the age of criminal responsibility, adding that "the boy’s father had expressed an intention to settle."
Children between the ages of 10 and 14 are considered juveniles under the age of criminal responsibility and do not face criminal punishment, though courts may impose protective measures.
Police closed the case after the owner settled with the boy's parents, but the boy continued to visit the unmanned laundry shop, stealing between 50,000 and 100,000 won in cash each time.
![A police logo [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/17/56c47364-27cd-4214-98e9-d93dabb3e4d4.jpg)
A police logo [YONHAP]
The footage also showed the student making a “V” sign toward the security camera and damaging shop equipment with a large cutting tool.
The owner reported the student to the police again and said they would not agree to another settlement. Investigators later found that the student carried out similar thefts at about 10 other unmanned stores in the surrounding area.
“I had only heard the term ‘juvenile under the age of criminal responsibility,’ but experiencing it firsthand made me realize there is very little I can do,” the owner said. “It feels like he is exploiting a loophole in the law.”
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 JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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