Last summer, storage lockers were installed at three bus stations in Seogwipo. Six months later, officials say many of the lockers have been locked for months… and with no master key to unlock them, there is little they can do about the situation. Mike Laidman reports.
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Bus station lockers in Seogwipo

These free storage lockers were installed last year at this bus station near Joongang Rotary in Seogwipo.

The idea was to use intercity buses as an alternative means of delivering items between Jeju City and Seogwipo; people could drop off items at the bus stops and the bus drivers would then place them inside lockers for the recipient to pick up in Seogwipo.

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Lockers at three locations in Seogwipo opened in July

Storage lockers like the ones here were installed at three bus stations in Seogwipo City last July. Now, six months later, city officials are conducting a checkup of the facilities.

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Passwords set - all 12 lockers remain locked

Items can be stored by pressing the touchpad on the locker and a display shows how many days have passed since it was locked.

All twelve lockers here have been locked for days.


Some, for as little as two days, others, for over two months. None of the lockers could be opened at the time they were inspected.

There was even one that was out of order, despite it still being locked.


Residents say it’s an inconvenience as now none of the lockers can be used.

Interview
Seogwipo resident
We can’t use any of the lockers at the moment. If officials at City Hall could do something about it, it would be great.
< 서귀포시민 >
지금 물품 보관하는 거를 사람들이 못 쓰고 있는데 시청에서 사람들이 쓸 수 있게 더 잘 관리했으면 좋겠어요.

[camera]
Moon Ho-seong

But Seogwipo City officials say there isn’t a whole lot that can be done.
The best they can do is give someone their forgotten password, but they say it’s not their right to forcefully remove what’s inside.

Interview
Seogwipo City official
If, for example, we take a picture of a bag that was inside a locker for proof, then take it out and contact the receiver to come get it, they might argue that there was more inside the locker. We can’t take responsibility for that. When items have been stored for long periods of time we really can’t just take them out without prior consent.
< 서귀포시 관계자 >
열 당시에 가방 하나 있었다고 사진찍고 가져와서 찾아가라고 했는데 주인이 내 물건은 그것만이 아니었다고 주장해버리면
///
시에서 책임을 질 수가 없어요. 장기 보관해버리면 물건 주인이
없는 상태에서 열 수가 없더라고요.

It cost the city 2.4 million won to install the lockers in the three locations.

[reporter]
Mike Laidman

To keep from wasting money and to make the facilities more convenient and useful for all, officials will have to come up with ways to oversee the lockers in a much more effective manner.

Mike Laidman, KCTV