| A teenager assaults a worker at a convenience store in Gangwon Province, Aug. 24. Screenshot from MBC News Desk show |
By Kim Jae-heun
Calls are growing for law enforcement to strengthen security at convenience stores, as the number of crimes committed in them has reached 33,863 over the past four years, according to retail industry officials, Tuesday. Aside from petty crimes, there have also been cases of murder, robbery, rape and assault.
A total of 8,486 crimes were reported at convenience stores last year, according to National Police Agency data obtained by Rep. Oh Yeong-hwan of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes occurring at convenience stores, with its reported cases increasing from 5,169 in 2018 to 5,853 in 2019, 5,944 in 2020 and 6,143 in 2021.
On the other end of the spectrum, the number of reported murders decreased from four in 2018 to three in 2019 and one in 2020 but rose to three cases last year.
Easy accessibility may be a contributing factor, as stores are commonly open 24 hours, tend to be at street level and are usually staffed by only one attendant at all times, even late at night.
Convenience store chains said they have installed security systems and cameras at stores to deter crime.
“We have hired security companies to help cope with crimes occurring at our stores. There are surveillance cameras installed at the stores to keep an eye on any criminal activity and our part-time staff can sound the alarm in the event of an emergency,” said an official of GS Retail, the operator of GS25.
BGF Retail, which operates the country's largest convenience store brand CU, said its headquarters regularly conducts security checks of stores.
“We have registered accident insurance for our staff in case they are injured while working. We also give information on how to respond to situations that could arise. The company is slowly improving countermeasures to cope with the increasing number of crimes these days,” a BGF Retail official said.