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Human rights watchdog investigates Seoul cafe for racist message

Published: 03 Nov. 2025, 10:51

A visitor tries a cup of coffee at a cafe and bakery fair in southern Seoul on Aug. 27. The picture is unrelated to the story. [YONHAP]

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea is investigating a cafe in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, for posting a message saying it would not serve Chinese customers.

According to the commission on Sunday, it received a petition arguing that the cafe’s refusal to serve Chinese patrons constituted discrimination. Investigators recently interviewed the cafe owner.

During the interview, the commission asked the owner to take down the “No Chinese” notice posted on social media and obtained a signed pledge to do so.

“If the respondent agrees to undo the discriminatory act and take steps to prevent recurrence, the commission can close the case without further review under Clause 3, Article 39 of the National Human Rights Commission Act,” an official said.

The commission is preparing to submit its findings — including the owner’s written pledge — to the Discrimination Remedy Committee for review.

The cafe had written in its social media bio in English that it will not serve Chinese customers. The issue gained attention after a Chinese influencer claimed on social media that they were denied entry based on this policy.

In a video, the influencer criticized the business, calling it “the most racist cafe I’ve seen in Korea,” and said, “I don’t understand why there’s so much hatred toward our country.”

Following the controversy, Seongdong District Mayor Chong Won-o responded to a public complaint filed on Oct. 27. “I deeply empathize with your concern,” he said, “and as Seongsu-dong has emerged as a major tourist destination not only for Korean visitors but for travelers from many countries, we will do our best to persuade the business owner.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]