Kim Young-chul’s Shocking Pickpocket Experience in London: What Travelers Must Know!

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▲ Kim Young-chul shares an update on life in the U.K. Source: Kim Young-chul YouTube

[SPOTV News=Reporter Kim Ji-ho] Broadcaster Kim Young-chul opened up about an unexpected pickpocketing scare he experienced while in London.

On the 13th, Kim posted a video to his YouTube channel titled “Kim Young-chul Witnesses a Pickpocket Up Close (The Reality of Safety in the U.K.).” The clip follows his experiment living in London for a week.

In the video, he admits starting life in London hasn’t been easy — British English can be tricky, the weather is unpredictable, and the exchange rate stings. He also said he’d heard a lot about pickpocketing around the city, which left him understandably on edge.

▲ Kim Young-chul and his companions recover the bag that was stolen. Source: Kim Young-chul YouTube

He decided on an impromptu trip to Oxford with a Korean student he met in a language class. At the station they bought round-trip tickets for about 140,000 KRW (approximately $105). Kim joked, “I’m about your uncle’s age, so I’ll pay,” and kindly picked up the tab.

But before they could depart, something unexpected happened while they were eating. As they stood up to leave, the student’s bag was gone. They retraced their steps and searched the area but couldn’t find it, realizing the bag had been taken while they were at the table.

Kim said a friend had warned him to watch out for pickpockets before he came to the U.K., but he never imagined it would actually happen to him, and he appeared shaken by the experience.

Thankfully, the incident ended without serious loss. About 30 minutes later, the restaurant called to say the bag had been found. Staff checked and discovered nothing worth taking, so whoever swiped it apparently left it behind. After getting the bag back, Kim breathed a sigh of relief: “That could have been a disaster.”

Back in London, Kim tried to get dinner but kept being turned away — many restaurants were full. “They politely refused us. I’m so hungry I could cry,” he said, sounding exhausted.

He added, “If I could go back to my 20s or 30s, I’d definitely study abroad,” and said he wants to enrich his life with more travel and learning moving forward.