Recently, a café in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, sparked intense debate among Chinese and Korean netizens after publicly posting a “No Chinese customers” notice on social media. The incident, along with differing reactions from the café owner, local government, and public opinion, has reignited discussion about where to draw the line between business autonomy and nationality-based discrimination.
Chinese Influencer Exposes the Ban: “Turned Away Because of My Nationality”
According to The Chosun Ilbo, the café in question—called P Café—is located near Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong, a popular neighborhood known for its trendy shops and heavy influx of Chinese tourists.
The story first surfaced on October 22, when a Chinese influencer in Korea named Henry shared on social media that he was denied entry after revealing he was from China.
“This is the most blatant act of racial discrimination I’ve ever seen in Korea,” Henry wrote. “I honestly don’t understand why there’s such hatred toward Chinese people. Who taught this café to do business like this?”
He also attached a screenshot of the café’s official Instagram page, which clearly stated in its bio: “We are very sorry, but Chinese customers are not accepted.” As of the time of public backlash, the statement had not been removed or amended.
Many Chinese netizens echoed similar experiences, with one commenting, “I’ve noticed some cold attitudes toward Chinese visitors in Seongsu before—but it’s the first time I’ve seen an outright ‘no entry’ sign.”
District Mayor Responds: “We’ll Advise the Business to Avoid Harming Seoul’s Image”
As public criticism mounted, a netizen on October 27 directly asked Seongdong District Mayor Jeong Won-oh on X (formerly Twitter):
“A shop in your district is displaying signs of racial discrimination. Doesn’t the government have any measures to address this?”
Jeong replied publicly, saying he understood the public’s concern and emphasized that Seongsu-dong, as one of Seoul’s representative international tourist districts, must maintain a “diverse and inclusive atmosphere.”
He added that the district office would “do its best to persuade the business owner” to prevent the controversy from escalating and to protect the area’s tourism image—but did not clarify whether any penalties would be imposed.
Café Owner Defends Decision: “Not Hatred, Just Protecting Korean Customers”
In response to media inquiries, the P Café owner denied having discriminatory intent, describing the move as a “temporary operational decision.”
The owner explained that “some Korean customers have recently shown discomfort when Chinese tourists visit,” even leaving the café upon seeing them. To “maintain a comfortable environment for existing customers,” they decided to “temporarily refrain from serving Chinese patrons.”
However, many online commenters rejected this justification. One pointed out: “You can’t generalize or exclude all Chinese people just because of some individuals’ emotions. That’s discrimination, plain and simple.”
Korean Public Opinion Split: “Business Freedom” vs. “Nationality Discrimination”
The controversy has divided opinion across Korean social media.
Supporters of the café argue that businesses have the right to decide who they serve, comparing it to places that ban children or pets. Some claimed, “Chinese tourists can sometimes be loud or disregard store rules—this is just the café avoiding trouble.”
But the opposition was louder. Many Koreans condemned it as “blatant nationality discrimination.” One netizen wrote: “Would we accept it if a foreign store posted a ‘No Koreans Allowed’ sign?”
Others in the tourism industry warned, “Seongsu-dong depends heavily on foreign visitors. This kind of behavior will hurt the neighborhood’s reputation and ultimately damage all local businesses.”
As of now, P Café has not removed its “No Chinese customers” statement, and the district office has yet to release updates on its “advisory efforts.”
The debate over where to draw the line between commercial freedom and equal treatment continues to grow—reflecting broader questions about prejudice, identity, and globalization in modern South Korea.