A man in his 50s, Mr. A, was arrested by police on suspicion of attempting theft by prying open a vending machine door at a subway station on a weekend morning. Mr. A, who caused a commotion demanding evidence immediately after the crime, was caught due to a trace reflected in the platform safety door in the closed-circuit (CC)TV.
According to Seoul Metro on the 17th, the incident occurred around 8:25 a.m. on the 15th at Maebong Station platform on Seoul Subway Line 3.
Upon getting off at Maebong Station that day, Mr. A crossed to the opposite platform and looked around for about five minutes, checking the location of the CCTV and nearby people. Afterward, he began to hang onto the vending machine and pry the door open.
While this was happening, the deputy station chief of Maebong Station discovered Mr. A and subdued him. Another staff member immediately reported the incident to the police. During this process, the suspect also made a commotion and attempted to escape.
The police arrived at the crime scene, but it was said to be a tricky situation. This was because Mr. A denied committing the crime, saying "It wasn't me" and demanded the presentation of evidence such as CCTV.
At this point, a Maebong Station staff member suggested checking the CCTV pointing at the platform safety door rather than the one directly at the vending machine. It was judged that the glass platform safety door could have mirrored the crime scene. Indeed, upon checking the CCTV, the platform safety door captured the scene of Mr. A prying open the vending machine door intact.
The police are investigating Mr. A based on this video for property damage charges.
Ma Hae-geun, head of Seoul Metro's business headquarters, said, "Thanks to the diligent work of station staff even on a Sunday morning, we were able to quickly apprehend the suspect," and added, "We hope that any crimes or disorderly conduct within the subway are swiftly reported to the police and Metro staff for prompt action."