A restaurant in Seongnam, a city south of Seoul, was attacked by four masked men in the early morning hours of 24 September, according to police and surveillance footage from the establishment. The assailants smashed furniture and sprayed lacquer throughout the premises before departing. The restaurant bears the name of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, chosen by its owner who stated he intended the name to reflect his ambition to operate the best Chinese restaurant in South Korea, with no political motivation behind the decision.
The establishment has operated for eight years but only began facing pressure to change its name within the past year. The owner reported receiving numerous phone calls demanding a name change in August of last year, coinciding with news that Xi would attend the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit in South Korea. He indicated that some callers, claiming to represent Chinese businesses, offered substantial sums of money in exchange for renaming the restaurant. Additionally, a complaint was filed with South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property in April regarding a menu item called Xi Jinping Special Rice, though the ministry closed the case without finding violations.
The vandalism incident resulted in property damage estimated at approximately 15 million won ($11,100; £8,400) and represents the most severe attack the owner has experienced during the past year. The restaurant closed temporarily and reopened on Tuesday following the incident. The owner indicated plans to consider adopting a different name for the establishment.
Police identified the four suspects as Chinese men aged between 20 and 40 years old. Following the attack, the individuals are believed to have traveled to Shanghai and Yantai, a city in China’s Shandong province. Authorities stated they plan to request red notices from Interpol for the suspects, which function as notifications to international law enforcement rather than formal arrest warrants.
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