Seoul cafe ignites backlash over ‘No Chinese customers’ policy

Chinese tourists arriving at Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal board a tour bus on Oct. 13. Yonhap

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, as the district’s mayor pledges 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 Korea with 190,000 Instagram followers, shared the story last week, calling it “the most racist cafe I’ve seen in Korea.”

Henry wrote, “A Chinese customer made the effort to visit this cafe only to be rejected for being Chinese. I can’t understand this level of hatred toward my country.” His post received nearly 1,000 comments, with opinions sharply divided.

Some defended the cafe owner, saying, “Chinese tourists should behave more politely; there must have been a reason,” while others criticized the action as “hypocritical for a country that has suffered from discrimination to now do the same.”

A few commenters expressed regret. “As a Korean, I apologize, but I understand the owner’s frustration after bad experiences with certain Chinese tourists.”

Cafe owner cites anti-China sentiment

The cafe stopped accepting Chinese customers on Oct. 21.

“There’s a strong anti-China sentiment in society, and when Chinese customers come in, the atmosphere among Korean patrons changes. I didn’t want to create that reaction," the owner told a local media outlet.

The owner added that they might reconsider the policy “once anti-China sentiment dies down.”

The incident comes amid growing anti-Chinese sentiment in Korea following the government’s recent decision to allow visa-free travel for Chinese tourists who visit Korea through a tour company in groups of three or more.

The far-right and conservative groups have fueled such rhetoric, recently proposing a “three-stop” bill to curb Chinese investment in real estate, medical services and elections — a move critics say deepens social division by exploiting xenophobic sentiment.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.