A cafe in Seoul’s trendy Seongsu-dong district has sparked outrage after posting a message on Instagram stating, “We’re sorry, we do not accept Chinese guests.” The incident has triggered heated discussions on discrimination and rising anti-China sentiment in South Korea just days before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The post drew attention after Henry, a Chinese influencer living in Korea with over 190,000 followers, condemned the cafe on social media, saying, “It’s 2025, and racism still exists.”
His video titled “Do Korean cafes openly discriminate against Chinese people?” went viral on both Instagram and Chinese platforms, prompting widespread commentary on the potential rise of xenophobia in South Korea.
The controversy soon spread to international forums such as Reddit, where users described the cafe’s policy as a “global embarrassment.” Others argued that such behavior would have led to immediate punishment in Western countries. While a few users speculated the cafe might have had prior issues with Chinese customers, the vast majority condemned the decision as blatant racial discrimination.
The cafe owner defended the decision, saying, “Chinese customers change the atmosphere, and I fear crimes involving Chinese nationals.” The owner added that the rule would remain in place “until (anti-Chinese) social tensions ease,” despite acknowledging that Seongsu businesses rely heavily on Chinese tourists.
The incident has fueled online hate movements, with posts on X encouraging “No Chinese Zone” practices, urging patrons to leave venues serving Chinese customers and share supportive establishments online.
Hong Sung-soo, a law professor at Sookmyung Women’s University, warned that such behavior signals a dangerous normalization of discrimination.
“Exclusion zones that began with children are now extending to nationality and race,” he said. “This is a wake-up call demanding stronger political and social intervention to prevent hate from becoming mainstream.”
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
