Controversy Over Owner's Reply "Hope You Don't Get Better" on "Porridge, It's So-So" Review

On the 28th, a post titled "Baedal Minjok Customer, Owner Wishing Death" was uploaded on an online community. Photo by Online Community Capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A restaurant owner who runs a juk (rice porridge) shop sparked controversy by leaving a curse-filled reply to a customer’s review on a delivery application.

On the 28th, a post titled "Baedal Minjok Customer Told to Die by Restaurant Owner" was uploaded on an online community.

According to the attached photo, Mr. A, who ordered beef vegetable juk from a juk shop, left a review with a 4-star rating saying, "I ordered juk because I have severe laryngitis, but it’s so-so (just okay)."

In response, the owner Mr. B wrote, "I work 16 hours making this. If you’re going to say it’s so-so, then go order from somewhere else with higher delivery fees and prices," adding, "I hope you don’t get better from your illness."

The person who shared this on the community expressed anger, saying, "It’s not even a 1-star but a 4-star rating, and yet he tells them to die like that," and "If it’s that hard, I hope you take a good rest."

Netizens reacted with comments such as "The owner went too far," "There are a lot of difficult owners these days," "The owner is directly damaging the store’s image," and "The owner must have been really upset."

Recently, conflicts between owners and customers over reviews have frequently caused controversies.

On the 21st, a customer who visited a meat restaurant in Jeju pointed out that the tongs used in the store were unsanitary, and the owner sarcastically called the customer "someone who would give a 0.5-star review." This was followed by actual low-star reviews, and the owner replied, "I knew you’d do a star rating attack. Feeling better now?" which sparked controversy.

In February, a brunch cafe owner mocked a customer’s request to have the menu in Korean by replying, "I think I’ll laugh myself to death by tomorrow," and after the controversy spread, the owner eventually apologized.