Seoul Namdaemun police have arrested a woman for allegedly stealing money from a foreign tourist on Aug. 20. She had served 16 years in prison after stealing money from foreign tourists 14 times. / Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Jin-a

A pickpocket who has been convicted 14 times for stealing money from foreign tourists has been caught again.

Namdaemun Police Station said Thursday a woman, surnamed Lee, is under arrest for allegedly taking a wallet from a Thai woman, 34, at a sports shop in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, in central Seoul. The victim had 7 million won ($6,400) in her wallet.

According to police, Lee, 51, served 16 years in prison for stealing from tourists and was released in May. She robbed the Thai woman on Aug. 20, police said.

After analyzing security camera footage, police found that Lee searched for foreign female tourists in the busy shopping district in Myeongdong, followed the one she targeted and committed the crime.

Police suspect Lee is responsible for other thefts and will continue their investigation.