Paid 50,000 Won for Jjajangmyeon and Boasted "I Donated"... It Was a 'Staged Shot'

Earlier Caused a Stir Claiming to Pay for Food-Insecure Children
Actually Only Took Photos and Paid 5,000 Won
"What Did You Do Alone Spreading Money... Hypocritical"

A story about a man who paid 55,000 won for a bowl of Jjajangmyeon at a Chinese restaurant in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, which provides free meals to children in need, and thus participated in a donation, has gone viral online. However, CCTV footage from the restaurant showed a man spreading out the money and taking photos, but actually only paying 5,000 won.

A bowl of Jjajangmyeon for 55,000 won... A heartwarming twist story goes viral

On the 27th of last month, an online community called BobaeDream posted a post titled "A bowl of Jjajangmyeon for 55,000 won" along with photos. At first glance, the title seemed to imply being overcharged, but the content was a "twist."

The poster, Mr. A, said, "Although the world has improved and there are fewer children going hungry these days, there are still children who worry about having a single meal," adding, "Our neighborhood is no exception, and the owner of a local Chinese restaurant is doing something very kind for those children."

He also shared, "An acquaintance visited the restaurant and paid 55,000 won for a bowl of Jjajangmyeon," revealing a photo showing five 10,000-won bills and one 5,000-won bill placed next to the Jjajangmyeon.

After this story became known, netizens responded with comments such as "We should reward them with money," "This is a campaign of positive influence," and "I want to visit once."

Turns out it was a staged photo... Only 5,000 won was actually paid

However, on the 10th, Yonhap News TV’s investigation revealed another twist. The person who took the photo did not actually pay 55,000 won.

According to the report, the Chinese restaurant owner, Mr. B, said, "He ate Jjajangmyeon alone, spread out the money, and took photos, so I thought it was nothing special and just passed by," adding, "Later, he paid only 5,000 won for the Jjajangmyeon."

Mr. B said, "I think he probably took the photo with good intentions and told an acquaintance to use it for a good cause," but added, "In reality, we only received the payment for the food."

However, although no customer actually paid the extra 50,000 won, Mr. B emphasized that a "good deed relay" followed after the post went viral.

Mr. B said, "A customer from Seoul called and said, 'Don’t deliver food, just take the payment,' and said they would donate it directly to the children," adding, "Also, young male and female customers came and gave 10,000 won to be used for a good cause."

Netizens who learned about this responded with comments such as, "Although it was a false post, it’s fortunate that the owner’s good deeds were exposed," and "Thank you to the owner who considered the children so they could eat deliciously without feeling self-conscious."

On the other hand, some netizens criticized, saying, "He pretended to pay by spreading out money alone, which is very hypocritical," and "The person who took the photo is a liar, but it’s a relief that the restaurant’s good deeds are not false."