The 24-year-old, identified only by his surname Lee, had stolen
dozens of pairs of high heels from schools, restaurants and homes
in his neighbourhood in the southern city of Busan in recent
months.
"We'd first looked into the possibility of sexual perversion," a
spokesman at Busan Yeongdo police station told AFP.
"But Lee said he did it because he didn't like women wearing
heels to look taller than him when he's so short," the spokesman
said.
Lee, who stands 165 centimetres (5 feet 5 inches) tall, was
caught because he made the mistake of repeatedly dumping a number
of shoes in one particular park that was monitored by CCTV
cameras.
Koreans take off their shoes when entering homes and some
restaurants. The footwear is usually stored in open shelving at the
entrance.