"'We're Minors' - Threats from Teenagers Who Drank and Did a Mukti"

"Real ID Not Verified... Business Suspension If Reported"
Flees After Ordering 160,000 Won Worth of Alcohol and More

Six minors ordered 160,000 won worth of food and alcohol at a restaurant, then left a threatening note saying that if the ID was not checked and they reported it, the business would be suspended, sparking outrage among netizens.

[Photo by Internet Community Archive]

On the 11th, an internet community post titled "Incheon High School Students Eat and Run" was uploaded. The author, Mr. A, posted two photos of receipts, saying, "Two boys and four girls ate and ran, leaving this note at the scene." The receipt, issued at 10:20 PM on the 7th, showed four types of side dishes and various alcoholic beverages including highball, soju, and beer. The total amount reached 162,700 won.

On the back of another receipt, it was written, "We are minors. You did not check our IDs. If you report us, your business will be suspended, so we will just leave," followed by "We are very sorry. We will come back proudly when we become adults. Thank you for treating us kindly."

It appears they exploited the fact that business owners face suspension if caught selling alcohol to minors to carry out this act. The specific restaurant name or the authenticity of the incident has not been confirmed.

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "When will the responsibility shift to the purchaser?", "They do this because they are not punished even for fraud or forging official documents," and "They should be held accountable for their actions."

Over 7,000 Cases of Underage Alcohol Sales Detected in 3 Years... Less Than 3% Exempted from Administrative Sanctions

According to the office of In Jae-geun of the Democratic Party of Korea in October, there were 6,959 cases of underage alcohol sales detected over the past three years, averaging about 6.4 cases per day.

Under the current Food Sanitation Act, food service operators can face administrative sanctions such as business license cancellation or suspension of business for up to six months if they provide alcohol to minors. If the food service operator was unaware that the customer was a minor due to reasons such as presenting a forged ID, they may be exempt from administrative sanctions; however, only about 2.8% of cases applied this exemption.

Recently, this regulation has been exploited by minors who deceive others about their age, consume alcohol and food, then either do not pay or extort money from business owners by threats. In March, in Gwangju Metropolitan City, two customers ate two servings of samgyeopsal and drank one bottle of soju, then demanded 1 million won in cash per person from the restaurant owner, claiming they were teenagers and saying, "We won't report you, so give us the money."

A notice posted by the store owner who was deceived by a minor into selling alcohol and received a business suspension last September [Photo by Internet Community Capture]

In September, controversy arose online when a restaurant owner running a kongnamul gukbap (bean sprout soup) restaurant was suspended for selling alcohol after being deceived by minors. At that time, the owner posted a notice in front of the restaurant saying, "Look at the minors who came last November, lied, and were not punished. Because of you, five breadwinners lost their livelihoods," and "You may be immature now and not think about it, but when you grow older and become real adults, I hope you remember the mistakes you made."