Four Chinese Men Accused of Vandalizing ‘Xi Jinping’ Restaurant in South Korea

A Chinese restaurant in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, named after Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, was reportedly vandalized in the early morning hours by four masked Chinese men. The men allegedly damaged the restaurant’s interior, spray-painted its sign, and then fled to mainland China. South Korean police said they would make every effort to track down the suspects.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency, citing The Korea Herald, reported that the Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said four Chinese men in their 20s to 40s broke into the restaurant, named “Xi Jinping,” around 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 24. They allegedly spray-painted the interior and sprayed what was believed to be a pesticide-like substance onto food ingredients.

Wearing masks and hats, the suspects spent about an hour vandalizing the restaurant. Afterward, they reportedly took a taxi to their accommodation in Seoul before traveling to Incheon International Airport and leaving South Korea. Officials said the men were believed to have fled to Yantai in mainland China.

South Korean investigators said the restaurant may have been targeted because of its name. The owner also told local media that, in recent months, people had repeatedly called or visited the restaurant to protest its name.

South Korean police reportedly plan to work with relevant authorities through international judicial cooperation to track down the suspects.

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According to social media posts, the Chinese restaurant named “Xi Jinping” has been operating in South Korea for eight years. The four masked Chinese men who broke into the restaurant in the early hours of Sept. 24 allegedly painted over the sign with black paint and slashed tables and chairs. An empty pesticide container was also found at the scene, and the suspected substance was sent for testing.

The restaurant owner had reportedly received frequent harassing phone calls and visits in recent months, and the sign had also previously been vandalized with paint. The owner now plans to rename the restaurant. South Korean police are reportedly considering seeking their arrest through international judicial cooperation.

The blogger “Sydney Xianren” (悉尼闲人), who uploaded a video of the incident, commented, “This was clearly organized and premeditated. Guess who could pull something like this off? The CCP is essentially a criminal organization, founded by thugs and bandits.”

The original report noted that the incident had not been reported by Chinese state media at the time of publication.

Veteran journalist Akio Yaita wrote on Facebook that the Chinese men did not appear to have acted on impulse. They entered South Korea separately, deliberately concealed their faces during the attack, and left the country immediately afterward. From their arrival and preparation through the attack and departure, the entire process resembled a planned “hit-and-run” operation, he said. He said the incident reminded him of an attack he experienced in Taichung, Taiwan, on July 6.

Yaita said that the man who attacked him had entered Taiwan using a Hong Kong passport and waited near the hotel where Yaita was scheduled to give a speech. After confirming his target, the man suddenly attacked him. He then quickly left the scene, changed clothes, and headed directly to Taichung International Airport to leave Taiwan. Fortunately, Yaita said, Taichung police responded quickly and intercepted him before his flight departed.

Yaita said the two incidents shared what he described as a troubling similarity: people allegedly entered a country, carried out a prepared attack, and quickly departed after completing their “mission.” Democratic countries keep their borders open, protect individual freedoms, and uphold due process, he said. But if people exploit these systems to cross borders to commit violence or intimidation and then flee to places where they are difficult to prosecute, the incidents can no longer be viewed simply as ordinary public-security cases.

Yaita said that if such incidents continued, the international community should not treat each one merely as an isolated criminal case. He also said that the number of political taboos in China is China’s own affair, but that such taboos and fear must not be exported through violence onto the territory of other countries.

X user “Liu Shasha” also suggested that Chinese dissidents living in South Korea visit the restaurant to express solidarity. The user also called on South Korean society and the international community to support the owner. The user urged the owner not to change the restaurant’s name, arguing that doing so would mean giving in to the attackers. The user further suggested placing a Xi Jinping figurine in the restaurant for customers to “box” as a way of venting their anger, saying this could turn the restaurant into a popular tourist attraction and boost business.

Other users left comments condemning the incident, including: “This is pure mafia-style thuggery”; “The CCP is the largest criminal organization in human history”; “The CCP is also a cult”; and “Cross-border repression + extraterritorial jurisdiction + hit-and-run attacks?! Countries around the world must protect their citizens and completely eliminate the evil forces of communist authoritarianism so that the world can have genuine peace and a future.”