Man throws hot ramen at 'disrespectful' clerk

By Ko Dong-hwan

An argument at a convenience store over a cup of ramen has produced a steamy facial burn and a probe by prosecutors.

On Tuesday morning, a man surnamed Jung, 45, visited the store in Seoul’s Jung-gu district. A male clerk, 34, was behind the counter.

Security camera footage shows the customer trying to heat the food in a microwave oven. He does not know how to operate the machine and asks the clerk.

But the conversation between the two develops into a verbal stoush. The customer becomes upset because of the clerk’s language, saying it was disrespectful.

A convenience store customer, left, throws a cup ramen at a clerk after an argument arose out of the latter's "disrespectful language." / Screen capture from YouTube

The video then shows the customer taking the cup from the oven and throwing it at the clerk, who tries to avoid the ramen splattering his face.

The clerk suffered a second-degree facial burn, police said.

“Apparently the criminal inquired of the clerk how to use the oven but the clerk didn’t answer him,” Seoul Namdaemun police told YTN. “They then began to argue. The man got ticked off and threw the cup.”

Police booked Jung and will send the case to prosecutors.