Convenience Store Owner Demands 'Wage' Due to Stress from Theft Incident

A convenience store owner has sparked outrage among internet users by demanding part-time wages from parents after claiming that work was impossible due to stress caused by a child who stole items from the store.

On the 25th, a post titled "My Son Stole Gimbap and Cider from a Convenience Store" appeared on the automotive online community 'Bobae Dream.'

The author, Mr. A, introduced himself as a father in his 50s raising two children, saying, "I have no one to talk to, so I'm writing these few lines with a heavy heart."

He explained, "My sixth-grade son was caught stealing gimbap and cider from the convenience store a few days ago. When the owner asked for a parent’s phone number, he gave his own out of fear."

He continued, "The owner claimed to have suffered from severe headaches due to the shock of my son stealing the food, stating that he couldn't work at the convenience store over the weekend and was in the hospital. He demanded a total of 260,000 won for part-time wages, claiming 130,000 won per day."

According to Mr. A, his son was so frightened by the owner's threat to report the matter to the police and school if the money wasn’t deposited by Tuesday the 22nd that he eventually confessed to his parents.

Shocked by his son's story, Mr. A reprimanded him and then personally visited the convenience store owner to apologize.

After the couple's apology, it was revealed that the phone number the child provided was not that of the parents, leading the store owner to demand an additional day's wage, saying, "I can't work because my hands are shaking and my head hurts from the child's lie." Mr. A and his wife accepted this demand.

The problem arose after they had agreed to pay 390,000 won to the convenience store owner. Due to Mr. A's busy schedule, the payment was delayed by one day.

The store owner began to demand an additional day's wage, saying, "I can't work because I haven't received the deposit. My husband is very angry."

Mr. A expressed, "From this point on, I started to get angry too. You're saying you can't threaten us after we've made the payment? When I told him to stop, he asked me when he had threatened me and demanded an apology."

He added, "I know very well that my son's actions were wrong. I scolded him a lot and even hit him. I understand it's counterproductive to dwell on this, but I have no place to talk about it and I'm also angry, so I'm venting."

Upon seeing this, netizens reacted with comments like, "The child did wrong, but the store's response is even worse," "They can't speak up to drunk people making a scene but bully a child because they think they're easy targets," and "It seems that they keep inflating the settlement amount because they see the other side as soft."

Image Source: Reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, Reference photos for understanding the article / Photo = Insight, Bobae Dream