Mother and Daughter Accused of Power Abuse at Yangju BBQ Restaurant Claim in Police Investigation "No Intent to Abuse Power"

A pastor and her daughter, who had verbally abused, cursed, and threatened the owner after eating at a barbecue restaurant in Okjeong New Town, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, appeared at the police station on the 26th for questioning.
[Photo by YouTube capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A mother and daughter, who were pastors, appeared at the police station for questioning after verbally abusing, cursing, and threatening the owner of a barbecue restaurant in Okjeong New Town, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, following their meal. The mother and daughter admitted to the verbal abuse and cursing but claimed that they did not intend to exert power or pressure.

According to the police on the 26th, the mother and daughter were summoned on charges of insult and other offenses to investigate the circumstances of the incident. Earlier, the police had summoned the restaurant owner couple as complainants for questioning. At that time, the owners emphasized, "People around us advised settlement, but we will not settle."

During the police investigation that day, the mother and daughter acknowledged their actions captured on CCTV footage and their statements recorded in audio transcripts. However, they insisted that their verbal abuse was not intended as an abuse of power.

A police official stated that after additional investigation, a decision will be made on whether to send the mother and daughter to the prosecution.

Previously, on the 26th of last month, the mother and daughter raised complaints at the counter after finishing their meal at the barbecue restaurant. Their dissatisfaction stemmed from another customer sitting at the table next to theirs during the COVID-19 situation.

The restaurant owner initially apologized and explained, "We did not seat them there; since they are regular customers, they seemed to have chosen a familiar seat on their own." It was reported that the mother and daughter did not request a seat change during their meal.

However, even after paying and leaving the restaurant, they called and made an absurd demand, saying, "After thinking it over, this is unacceptable," and asked for a refund of the barbecue bill.

According to the audio transcripts and text messages released by the restaurant owner, the mother, identified as Ms. A, threatened and cursed, saying things like, "Those old people sitting next to me only disturbed my meal," "Next time, I won't leave you alone," and "You rude X!"

She also demanded a refund, saying, "If you made me feel bad, you should have discounted the price," and "Send the barbecue money quickly," and threatened to report the restaurant for violating quarantine rules, demanding a fine of 3 million won. She claimed that the restaurant did not maintain distance between tables and that the owner did not wear a mask at the counter.

Contrary to their claims, the restaurant had installed partitions at all tables and was not in violation of quarantine rules. In fact, CCTV footage released by the restaurant owner showed Ms. A protesting without wearing a mask.

Ms. A verbally abused the owner, saying, "Give me your husband, are you a widow?" and "Next time, I won't leave you alone at the counter." Subsequently, her daughter, who was with her, also called and continued the threats, saying, "I will write a review," and "If you do that on the weekend, how about flipping the place over?"