A foreign student of mine once got a real shock at a café. The person at the next table had left their laptop on, put their wallet and phone on top of it, and gone off to the restroom. The student whispered to me. "What if that person loses everything?" But a few minutes later, that person came back as if nothing had happened. ## Belongings are a sign that says "this is my seat" Most cafés in Korea have CCTV. Everyone knows that if someone touches your things, there will be a record of it. Also, in Korea, leaving your belongings on a seat is a promise that says, "Someone's sitting here." People tend to keep that promise. These days, cafés are also places to study and work. That's because people whose homes are small or who need a quiet place go to cafés. But if you pack up all your things every time you go to the restroom, it's easy to lose your seat. So leaving your belongings behind has come to look natural. ## But Be Careful Not every place is safe. In very crowded places, things can get lost. Koreans know this too, so they always take important items like passports or large amounts of cash with them. So try doing it this way. Even if you leave your laptop, keep your wallet and phone on you. Also, take a look around to see if there are CCTV cameras and whether your seat is easy to see. What Koreans feel is closer to "There are a lot of eyes here" than "Nobody will take it."