"CCTV Footage Shows Planned and Habitual Behavior from Entry to Exit"
"Worried That This Incident Might Cause Unjust Suspicion Toward Grateful Customers"
A story of a self-employed person who suffered from the so-called 'meoktwi,' disappearing from a restaurant without paying, has sparked public outrage. The photo is for illustrative purposes. Photo by Pixabay
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A self-employed person running a barbecue restaurant revealed a story of damage where a young couple who visited his store disappeared without paying for their food, sparking public outrage.
A, who runs a barbecue restaurant in Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, posted a message titled "Gangseo-gu Barbecue Restaurant Eat-and-Run Incident" on a self-employed community last month on the 30th.
He said, "The young couple ordered 800g of Jeju black pork, 2 bottles of soju, 2 cans of soft drinks, bibim naengmyeon, scorched rice soup, and 4 bowls of rice, and refilled the soybean paste stew twice," expressing his anger, "Regardless of the amount, it's outrageous."
A said, "While waiting, when their turn came, they quietly went toward the back door near the restroom, and as soon as a seat was available, they sat near the entrance and even avoided checking the visitor QR code."
He continued, "Without taking out any belongings, they ate, then one went to the restroom, the other prepared, and then they both got up and left. I was busy and thought they just went out for a cigarette, so I was caught off guard," he explained.
A self-employed owner of a meat restaurant in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, complained that a young couple who visited his store disappeared without paying for their food. Photo by Online Community Capture
He added, "Watching the closed-circuit television (CCTV), their behavior seemed planned and habitual from the moment they entered until they left, which makes it even more outrageous," and said, "A police friend told me that if they didn't scan the QR code, it would be difficult to find them. They said if we track their movements and check all the neighborhood CCTVs, we might find them, but since the police have a lot to do, it's hard to report."
He also said, "The CCTV footage is high-definition, so their faces are clearly captured, but that alone doesn't help," and added, "I thought about posting it on social media, but worried about portrait rights issues and unnecessary trouble, so I decided to just think of it as stepping on poop and move on. I shared their faces with local business owners to be cautious."
A said, "It's a small store with 11 tables and 3 staff members in the hall, but when they come with the intention to dine and dash, there's nothing we can do," and lamented, "I've been running two stores for six years, always grateful and happy, but after this incident, I'm afraid that I might start looking suspiciously at grateful customers."
Finally, A shared the CCTV footage showing the two men and women and described their appearance, urging, "Business owners in the area, please be careful."
Netizens who heard the news responded with comments such as, "This is why I understand places that require prepayment," "Sir, don't get hurt and even if it's troublesome, report it and get tenfold compensation. It's obvious how hard it is during the COVID-19 era, and seeing this is really outrageous. Get it back. Definitely," "Since they even drank alcohol, hunger isn't the problem," and "They seem to be habitual offenders; I hope other stores don't suffer damage."
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