"When Chinese customers come in, Korean customers next to them would say things like 'Here comes the Jjangkkae (a racial slur for Chinese), or 'So f*cking loud.' Most of my customers are Korean, so even though it means that I would earn less money, I chose not to allow Chinese customers to keep a comfortable atmosphere," said B, the 30-year-old owner of Cafe A in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, in an interview with Hankook Ilbo on the 28th of last month.
Cafe A, which opened near Seoul Forest in June last year, recently became the center of controversy after the owner put up a 'No Chinese Allowed' sign on the 21st of last month. This quickly spread across social media, dividing public opinion.
B explained that 'China hate' was not the reason behind the 'No Chinese' policy. He explained, "Maybe it's because the rising anti-China sentiment, Korean customers often frown or curse when Chinese customers are around. I didn't want that kind of atmosphere in my cafe. I decided that not serving Chinese customers would be the best way to protect my cafe's image."
However, he admitted that it's generally true that Chinese customers often display 'nuisance behavior.' B said, "They often leave their trash behind, talk loudly, and even walk into the drink preparation area to film." He added, "While some of these issues are something that I, as the cafe owner, should normally tolerate, I ultimately had to implement the 'No Chinese' rule to prevent discomfort among my customers who are mostly Korean."
B also added that as a father, he understood the reason why the anti-China sentiment is recently rising. He said, "After frequently hearing about criminal cases involving Chinese people, it's hard not to view them negatively." However, an official from the Seongdong-gu office visited the cafe tho persuade to owner to drop the 'No Chinese' policy shortly after it became a controversy. B stated, "Since public officials have stepped in and talked tome, I plan to cancel the policy soon."
The controversy over Cafe A's 'No Chinese' sign has temporarily ended. However, it is difficult to say that al the problems have been solved. Since Seongsu-dong is a rising 'hot spot' tourist destination in Seoul, the possibility of similar incidents recurring cannot be ruled out. We went to observe how many foreigners, including Chinese people, visit Seongsu-dong and heard their opinions on the 'No Chinese' policy. We also included expert analysis on the controversy.
Around noon that day, outside Exit 3 of Seongsu Station (Subway Line 2), was packed with foreign tourists, even though it was a weekday (Tuesday). Various pop-up stores selling perfumes, fashion, and bakery goods located on the streets nearby captured the attention of the tourists. Even though it's not a busy road area, so many people were trying to cross the intersection that police had to manage traffic. A police officer on site said, "We have been deployed to crowded areas since last week ahead of Halloween."
It was common to see dozens of tourists lined up at popular spots or shops for famous brands. For example, there were about 20 people sitting in the waiting area of a famous Gamjatang restaurant in Seongsu-dong, and roughly 70% or more of them were foreigners. Most of them were East Asian, including Chinese, but Western and Arab tourists were also often seen. Most of them appeared to be young people in their 20s and 30s, consisting mostly of individual travelers (couples/friends) rather than large tour groups.
The preference for Seongsu-dong among foreign tourists is also clear in statistics. According to an analysis of the Korea Tourism Organization's data from August this year, the number of foreign visitors to Seongsu-dong last year reached 3 million people. This means the number of visitors grew by 50 times compared to 2018. Additionally, data from the Seoul Metropolitan Governemtn shows that Seongsu Station was 13th in the ranking of the number of foreign passengers boarding and alighting the subway last year. This is a 70-rank jump from 83rd in 2017. It is against this backdrop that the controversy over Cafe A's 'No Chinese' policy occurred.
How do Seongsu-dong visitors view this situation? The Chinese visitors involved expressed strong displeasure. Zhang (30), a Chinese student who visits Seongsu-dong about once a month, said, "This became a big issue on Chinese social media as well. Although the cafe said they would drop the 'No Chinese' policy, I think it's too late. I understand the owner's perspective to some degree, but I will never go to that cafe again." Another Chinese traveler, B (24), said, "When I told my parents I was going to travel to Korea, they informed me about this news and were worried. I believe this counts as racial discrimination."
The reactions from non-Chinese tourists and Korean citizens in Seongsu-dong were mixed. For example, Jin (24) from Singapore initially stated, "It's not a problem because it's the owner's personal choice," but then added, "I think I can only say this because I'm not Chinese. Anti-China sentiment has rapidly increasing in Korean society to the point that I personally experienced discrimination for speaking Chinese in public places recently." Yoon Seul (25), a Korean citizen, criticized the action, saying, "Refusing entry to Chinese people is racial discrimination. I worry that it will damage the image of Korea." On the other hand, Park Jihong (24) supported the policy, saying, "If the cafe owner took such a step even at the risk of losing business, the damage caused by Chinese customers must have been huge."
The fact that some people support the 'No Chinese' policy proves that anti-China sentiment is already widespread in Korean society. A 2022 survey by an international research team found that a staggering 81% of Korean respondents reported having a 'negative' or 'very negative' view of China. This was the highest percentage among the 56 countries surveyed. Recently, posts that openly define Chinese people as targets of hate is also spreading on social media. A prime example is the 'No Chinese Zone Guidelines.'
Currently, there is no specific law that punishes businesses that prohibit entry to specific group, such as Chinese people. This is because the current legal system prioritizes the freedom to operate a business (Article 15 of the Constitution) and the principle of 'freedom of contract' in civil law. South Korea has not yet enacted a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that bans and punishes all types of discrimination based on gender, age, nationality, etc.
The only action that can be taken right now is a 'Recommendation for Correction' from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRCK). According to Article 2 of the Human Rights Commission Act, the NHRCK views the act of prohibiting entry to a public space based on a specific nationality, race, or skin color as 'racial discrimination' and 'discrimination without reasonable cause.' Previously, the NHRCK ruled that operating a 'No Kids Zone' (similar to the 'No Chinese' case) was 'child discrimination.' However, the limit is clear, the NHRCK can only recommend a correction, but they don't have the power to legally force the business to comply.
Experts unanimously agreed that the 'No Chinese' policy is clear discrimination. Professor Hong Sungsoo of Sookmyung Women's University stated, "In this case (the Cafe A controversy), it is difficult to see 'reasonable cause' for refusing an entire group of Chinese people. Currently, the idea that 'discrimination should not occur in the private sector' is only abstractly laid out in the Constitution. Most OECD countries have clear, written laws that ban racial discrimination. So we need to introduce an anti-discrimination law here as well." Professor Kim Yoontae of Korea University also criticized, "Prohibiting entry to Chinese people is a more serious problem than a 'No Kids Zone' from a universal human rights perspective. It is a clear deprivation of rights and discrimination based on xenophobia."
However, there are also calls for Chinese tourists to change their behavior. Professor Kim Namjo of Hanyang University suggested, "It would be wise for Korean public institutions to educate Chinese travelers beforehand so that they can show respect for South Korea." The point was that, separate from the discrimination issue, Chinese tourists should also try to observe the common manners and courtesy of the country they are visiting.
Hankook Ilbo
[+870][-31] There aren't many Chinese people like that in Singapore. Why do you think that is? It’s because there’s a general understanding that 'If you go to South Korea and don't follow public manners anywhere, you will be severely punished.' Once that perception spreads, such behavior naturally disappears.
[+700][-40] You’ll understand if you visit the restroom after they’ve used it.
[+669][-68] Is the reporter Chinese?
[+57][-15] Seriously, how has free South Korea fallen to this state? Can’t I even run my own business the way I want? Why don't you interfere with bathhouses, saunas, and hair salons that operate as 'women-only' or 'men-only'? Why don't you interfere with restaurants that use only domestic Korean kimchi or domestic ingredients?
[+56][-12] They smoke indoors, pee and poop wherever they want, and are extremely loud. And now this is 'discrimination'?ã…‹ã…‹ That’s insaneã…‹
