"Groom and Bride Isolated, Attendees Clash Among Themselves"… Yeouido Hotel's Explanation on 'Restroom Controversy'

Hotel States 'No Use of Restrooms by Outsiders'
Hotel: "Temporary Access Control for Customer Safety"

On the 7th, a hotel near the National Assembly building in Yeouido, which had prohibited external visitors from using its restrooms during the rally calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol, issued an official statement explaining the situation a week later.

On the 13th, Hotel A, located in Yeouido, released an official statement regarding restroom usage on its website. The hotel began by saying, "Regarding the use of the hotel restrooms by rally participants on the 7th, false information has been indiscriminately spread and posted in media reports and online, so we are issuing an official statement."

On the 7th, the day of the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, citizens in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, urged the People Power Party lawmakers to participate in the impeachment vote. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

It continued, "The hotel restrooms are not obligated to be open to the general public, but normally there are no restrictions on restroom use for visitors for their convenience." However, on the 7th, the day of the rally, the hotel posted notices stating "No entry except for hotel guests" and "No restroom use for outsiders." The hotel is located about 800 meters from the National Assembly building.

Hotel A explained that three wedding ceremonies were held at the hotel that day, stating, "We temporarily controlled visitor access for the safety of our customers." The hotel added, "We promised to provide a precious and beautiful ceremony to customers who came for their once-in-a-lifetime wedding. However, on that day, a large crowd gathered around the hotel, causing delays in the ceremonies and isolating the wedding guests, including the bride and groom, inside the hotel."

Furthermore, "At that time, many people, including customers trapped in the lobby and rally participants seeking shelter from the cold or using the restrooms, crowded the hotel. Eventually, fights broke out among rally participants in the lobby, making control difficult." Hotel A emphasized, "For the safety of our customers, the hotel had to temporarily restrict visitor access. This was a necessary measure that the hotel, having promised service to its customers, had to take."

The unofficial police estimate for the candlelight rally in Yeouido on the 7th was 100,000 people, while the organizers estimated 1 million. When it became known that Hotel A had posted signs prohibiting restroom use, rally participants and netizens strongly criticized the hotel. Some netizens also launched a 'review bombing' campaign against the hotel and left malicious reviews.

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