Xi Jinping Restaurant Hit by Attack
A Xi Jinping restaurant in South Korea has been vandalised by four Chinese nationals who police believe fled to China after the attack.
Surveillance footage from the restaurant in Seongnam, a city south of Seoul, reportedly shows four masked men entering the premises in the early hours of 24 September. The men smashed furniture and sprayed lacquer around the restaurant before leaving.
South Korean police said on Tuesday that the suspects are Chinese men aged between 20 and 40. Investigators believe they travelled to Shanghai and Yantai, a city in China’s Shandong province, following the incident.
Police are preparing to request Interpol red notices for the four suspects. Such notices are international requests for law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally detain people wanted for extradition, rather than arrest warrants.
Restaurant Owner Denies Political Intent
The owner of the Xi Jinping restaurant told local media that the business was named after the Chinese leader because he wanted it to become the best Chinese restaurant in South Korea.
“There was no political intent,” the owner said, explaining the reason behind the restaurant’s name.
The restaurant has operated for eight years, but according to The Chosun Daily, pressure to change its name began increasing during the past year. The owner said the situation intensified in August last year when reports emerged that Xi Jinping would attend the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit in South Korea.
He said he received dozens of calls demanding a name change, with some callers even offering money. “People claiming to run businesses in China proposed large sums if we changed the name,” he told The Chosun Daily. “They were persistent.”
Name Dispute Continued Before Attack
The dispute also extended to the restaurant’s menu. In April this year, a complaint was submitted to South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property over a dish called Xi Jinping Special Rice.
The ministry eventually closed the case after finding no issues with the dish, according to the information provided by the restaurant owner.
The latest attack was described by the owner as the most serious incident the business has faced during the past year. He said the damage caused by the vandalism was estimated at about 15 million won, equivalent to around $11,100 or £8,400.
Xi Jinping Restaurant Reopens
The Xi Jinping restaurant remained closed for five days after the attack before reopening on Tuesday. The owner said the team is now considering whether to give the business a new name.
The restaurant serves a broad selection of Chinese food, while its menu also contains some South Korean dishes, according to screenshots shared online. Google reviewers have given the establishment an average rating of four out of five stars.
The investigation remains focused on identifying the circumstances behind the attack and locating the four suspects believed to have left South Korea. Police’s planned request for Interpol red notices could assist efforts to locate the men internationally.