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Package Theft Tops Concerns for South Korean Solo Households Leaving for Vacation
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Package Theft Tops Concerns for South Korean Solo Households Leaving for Vacation

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Context piece
  • A survey found that single-person households in South Korea are most concerned about package theft when leaving their homes unattended during summer vacation.
  • Female single-person households expressed particular worry about their solitary status being exposed through deliveries, unlike male counterparts.
  • Many respondents are aware of the security risks associated with posting vacation photos on social media, with some delaying posts to avoid revealing their absence.

As South Koreans prepare for summer vacations, a survey reveals that individuals living alone are primarily concerned about package theft from their doorsteps. The survey, conducted by S-1 Corporation among 7,556 security service customers from July 7 to 10, found that 59.1% cited "package theft at the door" as their biggest worry. This concern is particularly acute for single-person households, with 60.3% planning to leave their homes vacant for extended periods during the holiday season.

The biggest concern is package theft at the door.

— survey respondentThis quote represents the primary concern identified by single-person households in the survey regarding home security during vacation.

Gender differences emerged in the survey findings regarding security concerns. Over half of single women (51.4%) expressed anxiety that package deliveries might reveal they live alone. In contrast, only 4.2% of single men reported similar worries. For single-person households with pets, the primary concern shifted to the well-being of their animals left at home, with 72.5% expressing anxiety about their pets.

Multihousehold residents, when leaving their homes vacant, prioritized concerns such as "approach by strangers" (55.0%) and "burglary targeting an empty house" (43.7%). Across all household types, a significant majority (88.2%) acknowledged the risk that social media posts from vacation destinations could inadvertently signal that their homes are unoccupied. This awareness leads a portion of respondents (23.7%) to intentionally delay posting vacation photos.

I'm worried that my status as living alone will be exposed through packages.

— single female respondentA single female respondent expressed concern about privacy related to package deliveries revealing her living situation.

Furthermore, 53.3% of respondents reported experiencing actual security threats while their homes were left unattended. These threats included discovering "unfamiliar traces at the entrance" (36.5%), "lost packages from the doorstep" (16.2%), and "strangers captured on CCTV" (10.2%). In response to growing concerns about crimes targeting empty homes, S-1 Corporation noted a substantial increase in sales of its AI-powered "S-1 AI Doorcam," with sales in the month preceding the vacation season rising by 318% compared to the previous monthly average.

We are seeing increased concerns about crimes targeting empty homes.

— S-1 Corporation spokespersonA spokesperson from S-1 Corporation commented on the rising trend of crimes targeting unoccupied residences.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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