A restaurant in Seongnam, South Korea, named after Chinese President Xi Jinping, was vandalized by four Chinese men who sprayed paint and a substance suspected to be pesticide on the food ingredients before all left South Korea the same day. The restaurant owner decided to change the name for safety reasons.
South Korean police are urgently tracking four Chinese men aged between 20 and 40 suspected of vandalizing the 'Xi Jinping' restaurant in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, south of Seoul, in the early hours of 24 September before immediately departing South Korea for China.
CCTV footage shows four masked men breaking into the restaurant, smashing furniture and equipment, and spraying paint and lacquer throughout the premises. Authorities also found what is believed to be pesticide sprayed on the food ingredients inside the restaurant.
The restaurant owner disclosed preliminary damages amounting to approximately 15 million won, or about 370,000 baht, including damage to two computers and installed equipment. When accounting for lost income due to the closure, the total damage will be higher.
Police stated the four suspects left South Korea on the day of the incident, flying to Yantai and Shanghai cities, among others in China. Authorities have requested arrest warrants, and if approved, will ask Interpol to issue red notices to track the suspects.
The owner said the restaurant had operated for eight years since 2018 and was named 'Xi Jinping' to signify it as the 'best Chinese restaurant' in South Korea, emphasizing no political intent. However, over the past year, the restaurant received numerous calls and demands to change its name.
The owner recalled that in August last year, during news of President Xi Jinping's planned attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, he received many calls urging a name change, with some even offering large sums of money to do so.
In April, there was a complaint filed with South Korea's Intellectual Property Office regarding the restaurant's "Special Xi Jinping Rice" menu item, but the office closed the case after finding no issues upon investigation.
Following the incident, the restaurant closed for five days and reopened on 29 September. Nonetheless, the owner has applied to the district office to change the restaurant's name, citing concerns over repeat incidents and potential harm, despite the suspects having fled the country.
The restaurant serves a variety of Chinese dishes, including some Korean items, and has become an online subject of ridicule in South Korea, being dubbed the 'Chinese restaurant Chinese people cannot go to,' often mentioned alongside establishments named after politically significant Chinese events or figures like 'Tiananmen' and 'Mao.'
Police have not confirmed whether the four suspects were aware of the online attention regarding the restaurant's name before the attack, stating they will investigate this after detaining the suspects.
The incident has drawn attention as it involves political, social, and cultural differences between South Korea and China intersecting with crime in South Korea. Political science and diplomacy experts from Hankuk University note that while South Korean leaders are not considered untouchable, using the Chinese supreme leader's name for a restaurant may be viewed as disrespectful in China.
Store names and signage have previously sparked violent incidents in South Korea when involving political, religious, or cultural issues.