Petty theft happens a lot in this sluggish economy, according to the police.
Within one month, the Ulsan police arrested 13 robbers, many of whom were charged with petty theft.
An Oh and a Doe were charged with stealing 250 liters of diesel fuel worth of 500,000 won ($450) out of a boiler in their friend’s house, the police said.
They visited their friend to pick up some scrap iron. Noticing that their friend wasn’t home, they committed the crime, according to the police.
They cashed the money and spent it on daily expenses.
In another case, the police arrested a street vendor, a Jung, in July last year for stealing a container and using it as his shop.
Similarly, a shaman, a Hahn, was arrested for stealing a container and using it as her storage.
They both told the police that they were short on cash.
Crime of the sort kept coming up.
The police arrested Cho for stealing the container which stored second-hand clothing and for selling the contents.
Cho also spent the money on daily expenses.
The police warned that people should take extra care to keep their belongings close to themselves.
“Due to the economic slump, we see increase in petty crime rates,” said the police.