BBQ Restaurant Owner Causes Burns to Customer During 'Bul Show'... Court Ruling

Pouring distilled liquor on a Sotttukdeong and lighting it causes accident
"Insufficient safety measures" charged with professional negligence causing injury

The owner of a barbecue restaurant was found guilty after causing burns to a customer while performing a fire-starting act called a 'fire show' while grilling meat for the customer.

According to the legal community on the 11th, Judge Wi Eun-sook of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 15 sentenced A (49), the barbecue restaurant owner, to six months in prison with a one-year probation for injury by professional negligence.

[Photo by Pixabay]

A was indicted on charges of injuring customer B (44) while operating a barbecue restaurant in Incheon on June 17 of last year. He caused an accident by performing a 'fire show,' where he poured distilled liquor onto a pot lid and ignited it to remove the meat's odor, which resulted in burns to B, who was sitting nearby. B suffered burns on his face and body and was diagnosed with a 16-week recovery period at the hospital.

The prosecution brought A to trial, stating that he performed the fire show without any safety measures and severely injured the customer due to negligence. The court also recognized A's professional negligence in injuring the customer and ruled him guilty.

Judge Wi pointed out, "Considering the structure of the restaurant table where the accident occurred, the defendant's professional negligence in performing the fire show without sufficient safety measures is not minor." She also judged, "The degree of burns the victim sustained is severe." However, she explained the sentencing reasons by considering "the fact that the victim's medical expenses are being paid through the insurance company the defendant subscribed to, and that the defendant has no prior record of fines or heavier sentences."

Previously, in 2018, an employee at a pub in Nam-gu, Ulsan, was fined for causing burns to a customer's face while performing a cocktail 'fire show.' At that time, during the performance, the employee poured high-proof liquor into a cocktail glass, producing a flame about 1 meter long, which ignited the face of a customer in their 20s who was watching nearby. The customer suffered second-degree burns on the head, neck, and face and required nearly four weeks of treatment. The court judged that there was no proper barrier during the fire show and that the distance between the customer and the performance was insufficient, sentencing the employee to a fine of 5 million won for injury by negligence.

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