South Korean court fines parcel thief 1 million won — Korea Herald

A district court in Gwangju, South Korea, fined a man 1 million won, or about $750, for stealing an unattended parcel at a residential complex. As Korea Herald reports, on October 15 the court found him guilty of stealing a shipment containing goods worth approximately 100,000 won.

Fine higher than prosecution requested

The parcel was left in a designated location for residents of a residential complex in Gwangju. The prosecution requested a fine of 700,000 won through summary proceedings, but the court set a higher amount.

The stolen items were returned to their owner, but the victim did not forgive the defendant. The court said that despite the minor severity of the offense, a stricter punishment was needed because of the social significance of such an act.

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An unwritten delivery rule

In its ruling, the court stated that Korean society has an unwritten rule not to take other people's parcels left by a door, a shared entrance or at a security office. In the court's view, this trust allows people to use delivery services without undue concern, and stealing someone else's shipment undermines it.

In South Korea, parcels are usually left by the door of a residence or in a specially designated place in residential complexes. A similar approach is used for food delivery: a courier often leaves an order by the door and notifies the customer via a message or an app. According to the publication, thefts of unattended parcels are infrequent in the country.