"Where Is the Strong Marine Corps Loyalty?"... Controversy Over Senior Copying Junior's Store and Ethics

A Story About a Neighbor Copying Store Interior and Opening a Business
"'Hyungnim, Hyungnim' I Said... Is This How You Betray Me?"

A story has been shared about a neighboring merchant who opened a store nearby by copying the interior design of another shop. According to JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' on the 9th, informant A expressed sorrow, saying, "Is this how you stab someone in the back?"

[Image source=JTBC Incident Chief broadcast screen capture]

A opened a franchise bar last July with money saved over eight years, and business reportedly went so well that it became well-known in the surrounding commercial area. He was close friends with neighbor B, who ran a snack bar about 3 meters away and was also a Marine Corps veteran. One day, B said he was going to close his udon shop and open a different franchise brand in that spot.

After construction began, A noticed something strange. The exterior of the restaurant looked so similar that it could be mistaken for A’s own store. A asked, "If you have the blueprints, could you show them to me?" but B replied, "I don’t have them."

A told JTBC, "He is also a Marine Corps senior, so I respected him as 'hyungnim' (older brother). He said he was looking into opening an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) next door." He added, "Watching the construction progress, the store layout and interior were so similar to ours. Is this how you stab someone in the back...?" Photos show that not only the outdoor tent but also the bar style (Japanese-style dachi seats) and chairs closely resemble A’s store.

Moreover, since the two stores belong to different franchises, A asked, "Did the headquarters approve this kind of interior?" B responded, "The headquarters knows all about the interior details and said this store will have a different style from the existing ones going forward." He claimed, "We just followed the style of another franchise bar."

A said, "Many customers mistake the exterior and enter the neighboring bar by accident, and regulars even ask if it’s our second branch next door." He added, "Maybe because of this, sales have dropped about 25% compared to before, and it’s very difficult."

A sought help from his franchise headquarters, but they replied, "We plan to file a patent application through a patent attorney. It will take some time, but we will take action as soon as approval is granted."

Netizens reacted with comments such as "There’s no business ethics," "If you just remove the signboard, it looks like a second branch," and "It’s very malicious."