[WHY] Why are unstaffed stores so popular in korea despite causing headaches and controversy?

An unmanned ice cream and snack store in western Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
Amazon wowed the world when it introduced Amazon Go almost a decade ago, allowing customers to enter a shop, pick up a snack or drink and leave without interacting with a worker. 
 
But the grand experiment of high-tech, unmanned convenience stores came to an end when the company announced in late January that it would shut down all its brick-and-mortar Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh convenience and grocery stores. 
 
In Korea, however, there are hundreds of unmanned stores across the country, whether in residential areas or university and business districts. And their level of variety is unmatched, from the commonly seen small convenience stores to larger-scale bakeries, cafes, clothing boutiques and flower shops. There are even unstaffed pet shops that sell treats and have shower stations where owners can bathe their dogs unsupervised. 
 

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Unmanned stores became widespread in Korea thanks to their relatively lower starting and operating costs, paired with the fact that there’s no need to hire full-time or part-time workers.
 
According to data from Samsung Card released last year, the number of unmanned stores in the country rose by 314 percent between 2020 and 2025 — a staggering figure, considering the total number of registered merchants rose by just 8 percent during the same period. However, the data excludes payments made through third-party platforms, like Naver Pay. Transactions from third-party platforms usually do not indicate the store in which the purchase took place.
 
Many of these stores also do not operate with the state-of-the-art technologies used by Amazon. For example, instead of having CCTVs that specifically monitor what customers take off the shelves, almost all unmanned stores in Korea rely on self-checkout kiosks, through which customers manually scan and pay for their items before leaving.
 

An unmanned ramyeon restaurant in western Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
At the same time, the number of thefts in unmanned stores reported to the police has skyrocketed. The 3,514 reported burglary incidents in 2021 shot up to over 10,000 in 2023, according to statistics from the National Police Agency. 
 
The surging crime rate, combined with constant news stories of younger individuals shoplifting from unmanned snack stores, has led many to doubt the sustainability of these businesses. It has also sparked debate over whether owners are relying on —  or even “freeloading” off — the authorities to operate their stores, potentially wasting police manpower. 
 
So why are unmanned stores booming in Korea while simultaneously facing controversies over a severe lack of security?
 

An unmanned ramyeon restaurant featuring varieties of instant noodles in western Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
The varieties of unmanned stores in Korea
 
Walk through any residential neighborhood or university district, and the sheer density of unmanned retail becomes immediately apparent. Unmanned ice cream shops, likely the most common type of unstaffed store, feature multiple freezers filled with popsicles, sorbets and even premium brands, including Häagen-Dazs. Some also stock people’s favorite impulse-buy snacks, such as chips and instant noodles.
 

An unmanned cafe selling coffee, whisky highball and ramyeon in western Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
At unmanned cafes, large espresso machines that resemble vending machines brew the coffee — not baristas. The flavor may not match that of a meticulously handcrafted cup, but night owls still flock to these cafes and use them as study, work or meeting spots. 
 
One niche idea that has morphed into a massive market is the unmanned shop specializing in “zero-calorie” foods. Ranging from Coke Zero to sugar-free chocolates and aspartame-sweetened sorbets, these specialty stores are multiplying rapidly. Zero Store, one of the most prominent franchises, currently boasts over 170 branches nationwide. 
 
“I often come here because [this unstaffed shop] offers more ‘zero-sugar’ drinks and sorbets, especially ones that are difficult to find at other convenience stores,” Kim Jae-yeon, a university student, said. “They’re often cheaper here, too.”
 

The Zero Store unmanned store in western Seoul, specializing in "zero-calorie" foods [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
The unmanned store boom also includes instant noodle cafes equipped with cookers and 24-hour clothing boutiques. Unstaffed pet shops boast do-it-yourself bathing stations found in professional pet salons, allowing owners to wash their dogs, even at 2 a.m. These stations also feature “dry rooms,” or enclosed spaces installed with multiple small fans that gently warm and dry a dog’s fur.
 
The primary reasons for this boom are economic: easy maintenance and low costs. Franchises attract investors by highlighting that owners do not have to diligently stand guard 24/7 or manage part-time workers, especially with the minimum wage increasing every year. In theory, the owner only needs to drop by occasionally to restock supplies and check for any irregularities. 
 


The security issue



Despite Korea’s reputation as a relatively safe country, the biggest enemy of unmanned stores is theft.
 
Of the 13,617 total recorded crimes in unstaffed stores between 2023 and 2024, nearly 80 percent, or 10,769 cases, were attributed to theft, according to data from the National Police Agency that was provided through the Korean Statistical Information Service. 
 

An unmanned store with multiple security cameras and a warning sign that security cameras are in operation. [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
The shops themselves provide evidence of this problem. Besides installing dozens of CCTVs and live feed monitors, owners frequently put up a “wall of shame” that features screenshots of alleged thieves and handwritten notes threatening zero leniency. In some locations, self-checkout kiosks bear the physical scars from forced openings.
 
The surge in theft has fueled controversy, with critics arguing that owners are relying entirely on public police forces instead of investing in private security. A few have gone as far as calling unmanned stores “parasites that live off Korea’s secure society.” 
 
“I really am not fond of unstaffed stores,” Kim Beom-soo, a young Seoul resident, said. “I don’t know why we’re wasting police forces on thefts that [...] could’ve been prevented if there were staff on site.”
 
Experts agree that the excessive drain on police resources is becoming a societal issue.
 
“Unmanned stores are business sites operated by individuals, and it is natural for the beneficiary, the store owners, to be in charge of the security of their stores,” said Lee Yoon-ho, a professor emeritus of Dongguk University’s College of Police and Criminal Justice. Citing examples of banks hiring private security forces, Lee argued that unmanned stores should make similar investments. 
 

A hybrid Paris Baguette branch in western Seoul, where it is only unmanned during late night hours. [CHO YONG-JUN]

A practical compromise
 
The rising crime rates and community friction have limited the expansion of the completely open-door model to shops selling only low-cost items. However, instead of abandoning the cashierless concept entirely, Korea’s retail industry is pivoting to a practical compromise: the hybrid model.
 
Major convenience store chains such as Emart24, CU and GS25 have been adopting a new format, in which staff members work during the day but hand their jobs over to an unmanned system at night, when foot traffic drops. 
 
The critical difference between the completely unstaffed model and the hybrid is that the store doors are kept locked. Customers wishing to enter late at night must swipe a credit card or scan a QR code from a mobile app to unlock the door. This makes it easier for owners to track down offenders if a theft occurs and also acts as a psychological barrier that prevents impulsive crimes.
 
Emart24, which operates 1,756 hybrid convenience stores nationwide, said it has multiple security measures in place. 

The stores, for instance, are equipped with infrared sensors near the counter so that any suspicious movement triggers the alarm and alerts the store owners. 
 

Machine outside a hybrid Paris Baguette in western Seoul that allow customers to either swipe credit cards or authenticate with QR codes before entering the store, when the store is unmanned during night hours. The store did not require such authentications during daytime. [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
This model has also been adopted by Paris Baguette, Korea’s largest bakery franchise. The company recently revamped its Yeonsinnae branch in northern Seoul to a 24-hour operation. Staff members run the store from 7 a.m. to midnight, after which it becomes unmanned until morning.
 
“We only let in customers who’ve authenticated themselves with their credit cards [at night], and I also get an alert when a customer enters the store,” Hong Mi-sun, who runs the Yeonsinnae branch, said in an interview with the franchise’s in-house magazine in January. Hong said there had been no incidents or crimes since the store switched models.
 
Through a company spokesperson, Hong told the Korea JoongAng Daily that she decided to go unstaffed at night because the security system that Paris Baguette offered includes theft insurance, which gives her peace of mind.
 
“I do think introducing authentication methods in unmanned stores is a step in the right direction,” Prof. Lim Joon-tae of Dongguk University said. “We can’t have the police forces potentially wasting their time and effort when we have a limited number of resources.”
 

An unmanned stationary store in western Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
As for crimes committed by teenagers, the professor said the key is to better educate them about theft and its consequences in schools and at home.
 
“We as a society would have to continuously remind and teach the younger generation about morals,” he said.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]