Customer Holding Hong-eo Sprays Deodorizer at Owner, Asking to Remove Smell

Customer Eating Hong-eo Brought from Gukbap Restaurant
Ignores Two Warnings
Finger Bleeding Occurs During Struggle
Owner Sprayed with Deodorizer Five Times on Face

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A story has emerged where a restaurant owner demanded a customer who brought fermented skate (sikhyeon hongo) into a gukbap (soup with rice) restaurant to "get rid of the smell before leaving," and the customer reportedly sprayed deodorizer in the owner's face.

On the 12th, a post titled "Customer who ate fermented skate brought from outside and sprayed deodorizer on the owner's face" was uploaded to an online community. The author, Mr. A, who currently runs the gukbap restaurant, began by saying, "I've been in business for five years, but this is the first time I've felt such a harsh reality check." The term "reality check" here refers to a slang abbreviation for a moment of harsh realization, implying feelings of helplessness and emptiness.

On the afternoon of the 10th, Mr. A welcomed a group of about 10 customers. They brought a Styrofoam box containing fermented skate, which is notorious for its strong odor. Mr. A informed them that outside food was not allowed to be consumed in the restaurant, but while he briefly left the store to go to a food supply mart, the customers took out the fermented skate and ate it.

Despite two warnings from a part-time employee, the customers did not comply. When Mr. A returned and confronted them, they made excuses such as "We came from Seoul, so please let it slide," and "Because it's fermented, it doesn't smell." Angered, Mr. A demanded that the customers "get rid of the smell before leaving," to which they replied "Okay," seemingly resolving the issue.

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However, after finishing their meal, the customers tried to leave without addressing the smell. Mr. A then requested, "Go buy deodorizer. We agreed to get rid of the smell, but even after ventilating, the odor remains." The customers, showing no sign of remorse, criticized Mr. A, saying he was "inflexible" and that "the MZ generation has no sense." (MZ generation refers to Millennials and Generation Z.)

After further disputes, one customer went to a convenience store, bought deodorizer, and sprayed it inside the restaurant. That customer verbally abused Mr. A, saying, "If you've apologized a hundred times, at least pretend to accept it." During this confrontation, the customer grabbed Mr. A's hand forcefully, causing bleeding from his finger. Shockingly, one customer sprayed deodorizer on Mr. A's face about five times. When other customers eating gukbap inside the restaurant tried to intervene, one of the fermented skate eaters absurdly responded, "We originally came to eat gukbap to eat fermented skate."

Mr. A said, "I backed up the CCTV footage to submit to the police, and watching it again leaves me speechless." He added, "When I showed it to my family, they said it was truly crazy. The footage captured the customer spraying Febreze on my face and pushing me."

Netizens who read the story reacted with comments such as, "I'm scared that such customers might come in," "The police should have been called immediately," "If it were me, I would have gone to the customers and overturned the fermented skate," and "The smell of fermented skate really doesn't go away; they have no sense."

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