"Boss, Where Is the Bathroom?" 10 People Who 'Dined and Dashed' on 260,000 Won Chicken

Restaurant Industry Faces Consecutive 'Meoktwi' Headaches
Nearly 90,000 Reported Cases of Dine-and-Dash

In Cheonan City, Chungnam Province, a so-called 'eat-and-run' incident occurred at a chicken restaurant where a group of 10 customers fled without paying for their food.

[Image source=Pixabay]

According to a JTBC report on the 27th, around 7:30 PM on April 4th, at a chicken restaurant in Buldang-dong, Cheonan, Chungnam, 10 adults who were eating food and drinking alcohol attempted to escape while the owner was answering a delivery call.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident shows one man in the group suddenly standing up, briefly glancing at the kitchen, then approaching the exit and signaling to the others. In response, the other seated members gathered their belongings and stood up. When the owner came out alone from the kitchen, they asked, "Where is the restroom?" to distract attention and then fled.

The unpaid bill for food and drinks amounted to 260,000 won, and Mr. A reported the incident to the police. Later, the police contacted one member of the group, who explained, "I thought the group had already paid," and did not apologize to the owner. The man who signaled also claimed he was just gesturing to go smoke a cigarette.

Two members of the group later visited the store to attempt a settlement with the owner. The owner demanded compensation not only for the food and drinks but also for damages caused by the uncleared table that day and for mental distress. The group then disappeared, and the owner ultimately chose to file a lawsuit.

Last year, over 90,000 reports of dine-and-dash incidents... Struggling with repeated 'eat-and-run' cases

A man is gesturing to his companions. [Image source=JTBC 'Sageonbanjang']

Crimes related to dine-and-dash, where customers leave without paying, continue unabated. The day before, a man in his 60s was caught by police at a pub in Yeondong, Jeju City, for not paying his alcohol bill. Police investigations revealed that this man had committed similar dine-and-dash acts about ten times in the past.

According to the National Police Agency, there were a total of 94,752 police dispatches related to dine-and-dash incidents last year. Under the Minor Offenses Act, a person who eats food sold by others and fails to pay without justifiable reason can be punished with a fine of up to 100,000 won, detention, or a penalty.

Furthermore, if dine-and-dash is repeated or intentional, fraud charges may be applied. In such cases, the penalty can be imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.