Restaurant named after Xi Jinping attacked by Chinese nationals in South Korea

A restaurant in South Korea, named after Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was recently targeted by a group of Chinese nationals who attacked the establishment in the early hours of September 24. Surveillance footage revealed four masked men storming the premises, destroying furniture and spraying lacquer inside. The restaurant's owner, who chose the name Xi Jinping because he wanted it to be the best Chinese restaurant in South Korea, stated that there was no political intent behind the name.

Despite the attack, the owner emphasized that the property damage was about 15 million won ($11,100; £8,400), marking it as the largest incident he has experienced over the past year.

The restaurant had been operating for eight years prior to the attack, but only began receiving demands for a name change over the past year. In August of last year, the owner received numerous calls from individuals associated with the Chinese business community, some even offering financial incentives to change the name. Similarly, a complaint was filed with South Korea's Ministry of Intellectual Property regarding a menu item called Xi Jinping Special Rice, which the ministry dismissed as having no issues.

Following the attack, the restaurant closed for five days and reopened on Tuesday. The owner is now considering a new name for the eatery. Police identified the four suspects as Chinese men between the ages of 20 and 40, who are believed to have fled to Shanghai and Yantai, a city in China's Shandong province. Authorities plan to request red notices from Interpol, which are not arrest warrants but requests for police around the world to detain the suspects pending extradition.

The Xi Jinping restaurant serves a variety of Chinese dishes, as well as some South Korean offerings, and has received an average rating of four out of five stars from Google reviewers.