Jung Won-oh, District Mayor, Responds Directly to Racial Discrimination Controversy
A cafe near Seoul Forest, one of Seoul's popular tourist attractions, has sparked controversy over racial discrimination after announcing that it would not accept Chinese customers. In response, the district mayor stated that he would "do his best to persuade" the business.
On October 27, Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong District in Seoul, posted on his social networking service (SNS), "As Seongsu-dong is emerging as a leading tourist destination in Korea, attracting not only domestic but also many international visitors, I will do my utmost to persuade the establishment in question."
This statement was in response to a question from a user who asked, "Is there really no way to sanction such a racially discriminatory business in Seongdong District?" Mayor Jung said, "I deeply empathize with your concerns," and shared his position accordingly.
Previously, a cafe in Seongdong District posted an announcement in English on its social media bio, stating, "Sorry, we do not accept Chinese customers." The controversy intensified after a Chinese influencer residing in Korea, who has 190,000 Instagram followers, shared a case in which Chinese tourists were denied entry when they visited the cafe.
A cafe that posted on its Instagram bio in English: "Sorry. We do not accept Chinese customers." Instagram screenshot
In the video, the influencer criticized, "Someone made the effort to come all the way to this cafe, but was not welcomed simply because they were Chinese," and described it as "the most racially discriminatory cafe I have seen in Korea." The influencer added, "I don't understand why there is so much hatred toward China."
The video received 1,000 comments, sparking heated debate among netizens. Some responded, "As a Korean, I apologize," and "It breaks my heart." Others defended the cafe, saying, "The cafe would not have refused Chinese customers for no reason," and "They must have suffered due to the inconsiderate behavior of some Chinese tourists."
The cafe owner explained to Pressian, "There is a strong anti-China sentiment in society, and when Chinese customers come, the atmosphere among Korean customers changes. People react by saying things like, 'There are Chinese here,' or use slurs. I wanted to avoid creating such reactions in the first place." Regarding criticism that this measure could constitute racial discrimination, the owner said, "I am only doing this to protect my business, not out of anti-China sentiment or racism," and added, "If anti-China sentiment in society subsides, I will consider welcoming Chinese customers again."
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