I lost my wallet in a small town and thought someone would have turned it in.

[Mlatte]

I lost my wallet today (It is my fault, I have to say) as I was riding my bicycle.  It feel out of my jacket pocket.  It has been four hours and still no one has returned it to the police station.  I don't care if they keep the money, I just want my F4 Visa which I stupidly had in their for identification and my driver's license from back home.  I was hoping that someone would have at least returned it.  A similar story happened to a friend in a Metro in Seoul and they returned her wallet.  I guess I thought that it would have been returned, especially since it is is a medium size town...I would have liked to have thought that there are honest people out there.  Thanks for reading my frustrating and dissapointed posting. 

[JahRhythm]

4 hours? maybe give it a few more...
good luck

[kimjoohui]

I lost my wallet while in Busan which had my bank card, F4 ARC and a wad of cash, so I feel your pain! I actually know where I left my wallet, but the bar I happened to lose it at is now closed down. Unfortunately, I happened to go to the bar on it's last night open ever, and as the owner won't return texts/ fb messages, looks like it's a lost cause. It's been a week now since the incident, so I've given up and canceled my bank card and am going to immigration tomorrow to get my ARC reissued. Guess I learned my lesson about mixing tequilla and beer!

Did you end up contacting the police about your lost wallet? And were they helpful? My fiance asked his Korean co-worker to see if he could call the Busan police for me to see if they could help, but the co-worker said I'd have to press charges first?? So confused...

[bobrocket]

I lost my wallet today (It is my fault, I have to say) as I was riding my bicycle.  It feel out of my jacket pocket.  It has been four hours and still no one has returned it to the police station.  I don't care if they keep the money, I just want my F4 Visa which I stupidly had in their for identification and my driver's license from back home.  I was hoping that someone would have at least returned it.  A similar story happened to a friend in a Metro in Seoul and they returned her wallet.  I guess I thought that it would have been returned, especially since it is is a medium size town...I would have liked to have thought that there are honest people out there.  Thanks for reading my frustrating and dissapointed posting. 

Your also assuming someone actually found it, it could be in a drain or a garden?

[Davox]

I lost my wallet today (It is my fault, I have to say) as I was riding my bicycle.  It feel out of my jacket pocket.  It has been four hours and still no one has returned it to the police station.  I don't care if they keep the money, I just want my F4 Visa which I stupidly had in their for identification and my driver's license from back home.  I was hoping that someone would have at least returned it.  A similar story happened to a friend in a Metro in Seoul and they returned her wallet.  I guess I thought that it would have been returned, especially since it is is a medium size town...I would have liked to have thought that there are honest people out there.  Thanks for reading my frustrating and dissapointed posting. 

Your also assuming someone actually found it, it could be in a drain or a garden?

Plus assuming that if it was found it was found by someone with nothing but free time.  Or that they didn't just mail the thing to you but it hasn't arrived yet.  I've honestly heard that Korea has a pretty good record about returning lost wallets, as these things go, but expecting your wallet back in just a day is probably expecting a little too much.

[Amandada6262000]

Miracles happen!!! I've heard countless stories of people who gave up on ever hearing anything and the next day their missing items were returned. While you should probably move ahead with getting a replacement visa, keep your chin up!

[jigumjogum]

I lost mine too, and was a bit disappointed as well when it didn't turn up, but 3 weeks later it did! I hope by now/soon you'll have yours back too 

[edu+smart]

I've lost my wallet twice in Korea in the last 7 years. Once in a small town on a bus with no one on it. Where the driver totally took the cash and dumed my wallet, and a second time in Seoul where it was returned with nothing missing. So my experience is mixed.

[Frozencat99]

I've lost my wallet at a noraebang to have it returned without issue.

I have also left my iPod in a love motel (View Motel in Seoul) and they kept it behind the desk and returned it to my friends when they went back.

Last thing I've lost was a paperback copy of A Feast for Crows, which fell out of my backpack on the bus. It was returned to me at my second school the following Monday.

[rbirchtree]

I felt bad. I once found a wallet with $200 in it and I turn it into the bus driver because I was trying to impress a girl

I bet the bus driver took the money and ran.

[madison79]

I've lost my wallet twice in Korea.  Once in a cab and 1 time at school.  Got the wallet back from the kids but not the cab.
Ur stuff is gone and lost. 
Sometimes I feel that stealing isn't such a big deal to Koreans.  I mean that it's kind of like "you shouldn't do that but if you find a wallet well finders keepers." 

[tails]

Sometimes I feel that stealing isn't such a big deal to Koreans.  I mean that it's kind of like "you shouldn't do that but if you find a wallet well finders keepers."

Come on you would never get your wallet back in the UK, SA or USA; in fact you'd probably have your house burgled with your address from your ID.  So less of these xenophobic comments please!

[Waygookingumisi]

Good luck on that one ha ha mmm. sorry to be a nob. If i was you, cancel your ALL your cards now, and start thinking about how your gonna apply for another visa mate, its not end of the world really is it, if i lost mine it would be not just money but drivers licence and arc and CC cards , cc can be canceled easy ish. Drivers licence may  take time and visa processing takes times, hope things good all right, just not end of the wold is it? come on. 

[southcareer]

Sometimes I feel that stealing isn't such a big deal to Koreans.  I mean that it's kind of like "you shouldn't do that but if you find a wallet well finders keepers."

Come on you would never get your wallet back in the UK, SA or USA; in fact you'd probably have your house burgled with your address from your ID.  So less of these xenophobic comments please!

Seconded, the idea that someone from an English-speaking nation would try to point the finger at Korea on the topic of honesty is frankly absurd!  Get real, man. 

[eveliens]

I lost my wallet twice via jacket pocket.

1st time it was on a bus. The bus driver returned it to my town's bus station the next morning. I had a heck of a time getting back there myself with no money, but the wallet was returned. It was returned sans cash but all the cards were there.

2nd time it was on a train. I realized it immediately but the train had already pulled away. Reported it to the station, got it back a few hours and one embarrassing conversation later.

Threw out the coat.

On a side note, I also lost my phone in a cab. Cabbie called the last number on it, heard English, and got freaked out. Never saw the phone again.

Have you retraced your steps? There's a good possibility that it's where ever you dropped it.

[madison79]

Sometimes I feel that stealing isn't such a big deal to Koreans.  I mean that it's kind of like "you shouldn't do that but if you find a wallet well finders keepers."

Come on you would never get your wallet back in the UK, SA or USA; in fact you'd probably have your house burgled with your address from your ID.  So less of these xenophobic comments please!

This isn't a xenophobic comment by any means.  When my wallet was stolen from the English class room nothing was done expect Principal sent out a message to the Homeroom teachers about it.  In US police would have been called and some kind of attempt to find out who did it. 
This last year some soccer players were stealing money for other students and they got a harsh but non police involved punishment.  It's kind of like fighting between students.  Teacher handle the issues but I've never seen a student get into very much trouble.  Granted I don't handle the punishment but usually it's a harsh little chat with the kids and maybe a phone call home.
Over my 5 and half years of experience, stories and information it seems like stealing isn't punished as strictly compared to other countries.   Maybe Jeju has a different ideals. 

[madison79]

Sometimes I feel that stealing isn't such a big deal to Koreans.  I mean that it's kind of like "you shouldn't do that but if you find a wallet well finders keepers."

Come on you would never get your wallet back in the UK, SA or USA; in fact you'd probably have your house burgled with your address from your ID.  So less of these xenophobic comments please!

Seconded, the idea that someone from an  nation would try to point the finger at Korea on the topic of honesty is frankly absurd!  Get real, man.

This is just my experience from 5 and a half years of living on Jeju.  Maybe the main land has a different philosophy about theft.
Example, 300,000 won was stolen from a teachers house and police wouldn't file a claim about the money.  1 of the first teachers on Jeju stole a 4 wheeler and didn't get charged since the POE got him off  and a week later his new motorcycle got taken. 
Another waygook had her pension money stolen and when Korean office called the hagwon owner that person basically blew off the person from Seoul saying "On Jeju we don't have to listen to you." 

[Frozencat99]

Sometimes I feel that stealing isn't such a big deal to Koreans.  I mean that it's kind of like "you shouldn't do that but if you find a wallet well finders keepers."

Come on you would never get your wallet back in the UK, SA or USA; in fact you'd probably have your house burgled with your address from your ID.  So less of these xenophobic comments please!

Seconded, the idea that someone from an  nation would try to point the finger at Korea on the topic of honesty is frankly absurd!  Get real, man.

This is just my experience from 5 and a half years of living on Jeju.  Maybe the main land has a different philosophy about theft.
Example, 300,000 won was stolen from a teachers house and police wouldn't file a claim about the money.  1 of the first teachers on Jeju stole a 4 wheeler and didn't get charged since the POE got him off  and a week later his new motorcycle got taken. 
Another waygook had her pension money stolen and when Korean office called the hagwon owner that person basically blew off the person from Seoul saying "On Jeju we don't have to listen to you."

The problem with the first two stories is that there is next to no context. If you don't know the context, you can't just say "police wouldn't file a claim"; didn't should be swapped with wouldn't. Maybe they didn't file a claim because their was insufficient evidence of any theft, or because it was realized that it was a domestic issue.

People here have had their wallets returned without cash. Theft is occurring but, arguably, the most important parts of the wallet are being returned without a thought. In Canada, the only way the police would get involved with my lost/stolen wallet would be if it was mugged off of me (or stolen during a B&E). To think the police would come into my school and investigate is tantamount to daydreaming.

[cowboy7]

Upon leaving a cab I couldn't find my wallet.  My girlfriend paid the fare and I left my number with the driver.  He later called me and drove back to my apartment.  I said thanks and gave him 30k. 

A few months later I found a wallet that belonged to a college student just lying in the street.  I brought it to the local police station.  I hope you sort it all out ^^

[pyoon8709]

Some people are absolute jags, some people are saints. Sounds as if you've become somewhat jaded/bitter, Mads. You've been in Jeju for 5.5 years?
I've lived in the States for 20+ years. My apartment building was broken into three separate times. Police were called, they took a statement and told us, 'don't get your hopes up'. My bike was stolen TWICE. Both times, some ass took bolt cutters and just went right through my bike lock.

'The police would have been called'... /scoff

Individuals are jags. Not an entire people, Mads.