"If You Run Away, Your Family Too..." Years of Alleged Assault and Threats Against Employee at Busan Chinese Restaurant

"Alleged Years of Assault with Hammer and Metal Rod"
Restraining Order Issued, Digital Watch Provided

Police have launched an investigation after allegations surfaced that the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Busan subjected an employee to years of assault and threats. While taking protective measures for the victim, authorities are also working to verify the facts behind the assault claims that have spread online.

The appearance of the assaulted victim. Thread capture

According to the Busan Seobu Police Station on March 25, police are investigating a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, who operates the restaurant, on charges of assaulting an employee.

To protect the victim, identified as Mr. B, police have issued a restraining order to prevent Mr. A from approaching him and have provided B with a digital watch capable of making emergency calls to prevent retaliatory harm. Currently, police are questioning both individuals to determine the specific circumstances of the case.

The previous day, a post on a social networking service (SNS) thread claimed, "An acquaintance was brutally assaulted by the owner of a Chinese restaurant."

The author, seeking to bring public attention to the case, stated, "A close friend of mine was working at a Jjamppong restaurant and suffered an accident where a knife pierced his palm. That was only the beginning." Photos released alongside the post showed the victim’s upper body covered in severe bruises.

According to the post, Mr. B began working at a Chinese restaurant in Seo-gu, Busan in September 2021 and became a full-time employee in December of the same year. The assault is alleged to have started in 2024.

The author claimed that Mr. A strangled Mr. B until he lost consciousness, supposedly because business was bad, and assaulted him on the back and head with a wooden stick, metal rod, hammer, and metal cable.

Despite Mr. B pleading, "I don't need severance pay, and I'll give you all my money, just let me quit," his request was denied. Instead, Mr. A allegedly threatened him by mentioning the names, phone numbers, and addresses of B's family, saying, "If you run away, I will kill your family." It was also claimed that Mr. A forced B to write a script demanding money from his family for taking over the restaurant, and when B failed to memorize it, he was physically assaulted.

Other allegations include Mr. B, after sustaining a head injury and being unable to visit a hair salon, having to shave his own head with clippers. It was also claimed that when B’s leg became swollen, he was locked in an attic room on the restaurant’s second floor and made to use a chamber pot. The author reported that B worked nearly 20 hours a day, was constantly monitored via a home camera, was deprived of regular meals, suffered from malnutrition, and eventually required knee surgery.

After Mr. B escaped and reported the abuse to the police, Mr. A allegedly denied the charges during questioning, claiming it was a mutual fight. He also reportedly contacted B, pleading for leniency by saying, "Give me a chance to apologize. Even if it goes to court, I have nothing left," and, "I don't have money to hire a lawyer or pay a settlement."

A police official stated, "Since the report was filed, the two individuals have been separated," adding, "We plan to conduct a thorough investigation based on the statements from both sides to determine the exact course of events."

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