Restaurant Scam of 44,000 Won... Warning for Formal-Dressed Couples in Incheon

'Muk-twi' of 44,000 won at Incheon pub
Left without paying on the afternoon of the 19th

A man and a woman, appearing to be a couple dressed in formal attire, fled without paying a food bill of 44,000 won.

On the 19th, CCTV footage from inside a restaurant in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, was shared on an online community. The poster, Mr. A, said, "The couple went outside together, but only the woman came back in. Pretending to look at her phone, she packed up her things and left naturally while the staff was briefly occupied with something else," adding, "They skipped out on the bill of 44,000 won from the first customers." 'Meoktwi' is slang for 'eating and running.'

Restaurant Scam of 44,000 Won... Warning for Formal-Dressed Couples in Incheon

CCTV footage inside a restaurant in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, released on an online community. A couple dressed in formal attire left the restaurant without paying the 44,000 won bill.
[Photo by Online Community]

The couple in the CCTV left the restaurant around 5:20 p.m. on the 19th. Mr. A explained, "It seems they had a fight; the man who was going to pay was chased out, and the woman sat alone before packing up and leaving naturally," and pointed out, "Sometimes customers leave by mistake, but this woman appears to have acted with clear intent."

He added, "Due to the nature of pubs, customers often sit at tables for a long time and come and go frequently for reasons like smoking, so it's impossible to keep an eye on the hall constantly," expressing his frustration. Mr. A reported the couple to the police on suspicion of dine-and-dash.

Netizens who read Mr. A’s story mostly expressed outrage. One commented, "Where do people get the nerve to do something like that?" Another advised, "Go to the police station, file a report, and write a statement. If they aren’t caught, other businesses will suffer."

A netizen who also runs a business and experienced a similar incident said, "It was even reported in the news, but they were never caught," and comforted Mr. A by saying, "I just let it go, but reading your story makes me feel sorry."

Meanwhile, crimes involving fleeing without paying for food, including this case, occur frequently. Last month, a story circulated online about four men who dined at a lamb rib restaurant in Incheon, consumed over 200,000 won worth of food, and ran off without paying, stirring public attention.

Even if the food bill is small, penalties for dine-and-dash are not light. According to the Minor Offenses Act, a person who eats food sold by others and fails to pay the proper price without a legitimate reason can be punished with a fine of up to 100,000 won, detention, or a penalty. If intent is proven, charges of fraud may be applied, resulting in imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20 million won.