Chinese nationals vandalize Xi Jinping-named restaurant in South Korea, flee to China

A restaurant in South Korea named after Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been vandalised by a group of Chinese nationals who fled home right after the attack, police say.

Surveillance footage from the restaurant in Seongnam, a city south of Seoul, shows four masked men storming the premises in the early hours of 24 September, smashing furniture and spraying lacquer.

The restaurant's owner told local media he picked the name Xi Jinping because he "wanted it to be the best Chinese restaurant [in South Korea]". He added that "There was no political intent".

The restaurant has been running for eight years but only began getting demands for a name change over the past year, The Chosun Daily reported.

The owner said that in August last year, when news broke that Xi would be attending the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit in South Korea, he received dozens of phone calls relating to these demands. Some people even offered money, he said.

"People claiming to run businesses in China proposed large sums if we changed the name," he told The Chosun Daily. "They were persistent."

In April this year, someone filed a complaint with South Korea's Ministry of Intellectual Property regarding a dish on the restaurant's menu called Xi Jinping Special Rice, but the ministry eventually closed the case, finding no issues.

The owner said last week's attack was the largest one he's experienced over the past year, telling local media the property damage amounted to about 15 million won ($11,100; £8,400).

Xi Jinping restaurant closed for five days following the attack and reopened on Tuesday. The owner says his team is now considering a new name for the eatery.

Police on Tuesday said the four suspects were Chinese men between the ages of 20 and 40. After the attack they are believed to have fled to Shanghai and Yantai, a city in China's Shandong province.

Police say they are planning to request red notices from Interpol for the four men. These are not arrest warrants, but rather requests to police around the world to detain someone pending extradition.

Xi Jinping restaurant serves a wide range of Chinese dishes, although its menu also includes some South Korean offerings, according to screenshots shared online. Google reviewers have given it an average score of four out of five stars.