High school student arrested for robbing unmanned stores to pay cyber gambling debts

A 16-year-old high school student in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, has been apprehended by police for a string of robberies targeting unmanned stores. The motive behind the crimes, according to the student's confession, was to settle debts incurred from cyber gambling. Over three days in early July, the student targeted seven unmanned stores in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City, stealing a total of 870,000 won in cash by smashing kiosks with a hammer.

The damage caused by the student's actions far outweighed the stolen amount. The repair costs for the 10 damaged kiosks amounted to over 3.8 million won. Police were alerted by a series of "unmanned store safe stolen" reports and apprehended the student while he was riding a stolen motorcycle without a license.

This case is part of a disturbing trend where adolescents easily access cyber gambling through smartphones, leading them into secondary criminal offenses to cover their losses. Similar incidents have been reported, including a teenager in Hwaseong-dongtan who took out illegal loans at exorbitant interest rates and another in Mungyeong who stole 30 million won from his father's bank account.

In response, the Korean National Police Agency launched a voluntary self-reporting system for juvenile cyber gambling offenders in May. Approximately 806 individuals reported themselves through the 117 School Violence Reporting Center within the first two months. The system offers leniency, such as warnings or summary trials, based on the offender's remorse and attitude, with the reporting period extended until July 31.

“

I committed the crime to pay off the debts I incurred from cyber gambling.