South Korean Police Display 1,700 Pairs of Stolen Shoes

South Korean police displayed about 1,700 pairs of stolen shoes on Friday.

The shoes will be out in the backyard of Seoul's Suseo Police Station for two days for owners to come and claim them.

Police said last week a second-hand shop owner was suspected of stealing 1,720 pairs of shoes, half of which were expensive designer brands.

The suspect, identified only as Park, was arrested earlier this month. He stole the shoes at various funerals and mourning halls at big hospitals over the past few years.

Mourners in South Korea take off their shoes before paying respect to the deceased and their families at funerals. The shoes are left at the entrance of the funeral hall.

Park insisted he bought the shoes at a second-hand market. Park would arrive in cheap shoes and walk away with new or designer footwear when he left.

[Park Jeong-soon, Victim of Shoe Theft]:
"Well, I don't know what to say. I thought I had lost the shoes completely, then one of my friends called me and advised me to check the shoes on display here.”

So far 260 people have come to the police station to find their lost shoes, but only 69 pairs of shoes have been returned to their owners.