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Man sentenced to 18 months in prison for thefts of unattended items at Incheon airport

Published: 26 May. 2025, 16:40

Travelers crowd the arrival hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on May 6. [NEWS1]

A 49-year-old man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for repeatedly stealing unattended belongings and wallets at Incheon International Airport, Incheon District Court said on Monday.

The court handed down the ruling, convicting the man of theft and misappropriation of lost property under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Prosecutors charged the defendant with stealing luggage left behind by travelers inside the passenger terminal at Incheon International Airport between July and August last year.

Investigators found that the bags contained items such as cash, credit cards, sunglasses and passports.

The man also stole a wallet containing around 1.42 million won ($1,040) from a traveler sitting on a bench near an entrance to the terminal on Sept. 7, 2024.

Police confirmed that the man had already received eight prior convictions for theft but still committed the new crimes while under probation for previous offenses.

“The defendant posed as an ordinary traveler and repeatedly committed theft in one of the busiest public spaces in Korea,” the court said. “He ignored multiple past convictions for theft and continued to reoffend without showing restraint.

But the court acknowledged that the defendant "admitted guilt, expressed remorse and appeared to have reoffended" after struggling to readjust to society following prior incarceration.

The court also noted that the total value of the stolen property was relatively low, amounting to around 2.8 million won.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]