Seoul cafe ignites backlash over ‘No Chinese customers’ policy

A cafe near Seoul Forest has come under fire after posting a “No Chinese customers” notice on its Instagram page, sparking accusations of racial discrimination. The district’s mayor has pledged to intervene and convince the owner to remove the message. Seongdong District Mayor Chong Won-o said Monday on social media that he was aware of the issue and would “make every effort to persuade the establishment.” His post was in response to a citizen’s question asking whether the district could take action against such “racist behavior.” Chong wrote, “I deeply share your concern. As Seongsu-dong has become one of Korea’s representative tourist destinations for both locals and foreigners, we will do our best to convince the café to reconsider.” Divided reactions online The controversy began when a cafe in Seongsu-dong updated its Instagram bio in English to say, “Sorry, we do not accept Chinese customers.” Soon after, several Chinese visitors posted accounts on social media saying they were turned away. The issue went viral after Henry, a Chinese influencer living in KorWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times