A toy water gun used by the bank robber / Courtesy of Busan Gijang Police Station
A bank robber who wrapped a toy water gun in a black plastic bag to make it look like a firearm was caught just two minutes after entering a bank in Busan.
The Busan Gijang Police Station said on Monday that it was investigating a man in his 30s for robbery.
According to police, the man entered a bank in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang, Busan, at 10:58 a.m. Monday. Wearing a mask and a knit cap pulled down over his face, he entered the building where the bank was located. The bank branch was on the second floor, and as the man led customers from the hallway inside, he shouted, "Kneel down!" while holding a gun-shaped object wrapped in a black plastic bag.
Terrified customers screamed, creating a tense situation. The man stood blocking the branch entrance before attempting to enter the branch manager's office. However, the branch manager, who was inside with a customer, held the door shut, called the police and pressed the security firm's emergency button.
When the man failed to enter the manager's office, he moved to the teller's counter and demanded that bank employees fill a travel bag he had prepared with 50,000 won ($38) bills. Behind him, three or four customers remained kneeling on the floor. At that moment, a man in his 50s suddenly tackled him from behind, grabbing his arms and initiating a struggle.
A security officer and a bank employee immediately joined in, followed by two more employees. Together, they subdued the robber just two minutes after he had entered the bank. They then seized the plastic bag from his hands and found a toy water gun shaped like a dinosaur inside.
A bank official said, "People might find it clumsy or even humorous that a water gun was inside the plastic bag, but at the time, the situation was extremely serious and frightening, leaving women employees and customers in fear."
Police are investigating the details and motive behind the crime and plan to present a certificate of appreciation to the man in his 50s who helped apprehend the suspect.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.