Restaurant video claiming week-old fish served to customers draws outcry
In short
A video spread online showing a woman cooking fish stew in what appears to be a restaurant kitchen, with the person filming saying the fish had been dead about a week and that customers would not know. A person described as the Vietnamese employee believed to be in the video apologised, saying it was filmed as a joke and that the fish was not spoiled; the apology and the account were later deleted. Commenters called for the restaurant to be identified and checked, while Vietnamese netizens were split over the video.
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A video circulating on social media and online communities shows a woman in an apron stirring a pot of fish stew in what appears to be a restaurant kitchen, with the person filming saying the fish had been dead for about a week and that green slime had risen on it but it could still be served to customers after boiling. [ 1 , 3 ]
In the video, the person filming says customers eat the dish while the restaurant's staff do not, and mimics customers saying it is delicious while laughing. At the end, the filmer asks the woman in the kitchen to make a V sign, and she does so while smiling. Maeil Business and Asia Economy both describe the footage as filmed in a restaurant in Korea, but neither names the restaurant or gives its location. [ 1 , 3 ]
As the video spread, criticism grew. Commenters raised food-safety concerns and called for the restaurant's location and whether the fish was actually served to be verified, with some calling for the authorities to investigate, the two outlets reported. Korea Economic Daily also reported the video in a headline describing a Vietnamese employee who boiled rotten fish and mocked customers who said it was delicious. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
A person described as the Vietnamese employee believed to be in the video posted an apology on social media. “I only meant to make a fun video as a joke and did not know it would spread like this,” the person said, adding that “it is absolutely not the case that the fish was spoiled or that rotten fish was used, or that there were other problems.” The person also said, “I hope you will not worry because of what I said in the video,” and promised it would not happen again. Maeil Business and Asia Economy both reported that the post and the account have since been deleted. [ 1 , 3 ]
The controversy spread to Vietnam, where netizens were divided. One user defended the practice, saying fish are dead by nature and that it can take a week to 15 days after catching for fish to reach land, and that in Korea too all fish dishes except raw fish are made with dead fish. Others said it was wrong to side with the employee simply because she is Vietnamese, criticising the mocking attitude toward Korean customers and the damage caused to the restaurant. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The video has prompted calls to identify the restaurant and for authorities to check whether spoiled fish was served, though no investigation has been reported and the employee denies the claim. Because the video was made by an employee described as Vietnamese and the dispute spread to Vietnam, the episode has become a cross-border online argument as well as a domestic food-safety complaint.
Key facts
- A video circulating on social media and online communities shows a woman in an apron stirring a pot of fish stew in what appears to be a restaurant kitchen. [ 1 , 3 ]
- In the video, the person filming says the fish had been dead for about a week and had green slime on it, but could still be served to customers after boiling. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The person filming says customers eat the dish while the restaurant's staff do not, and mimics customers calling it delicious while laughing; Korea Economic Daily described the video in its headline as a Vietnamese employee boiling rotten fish and mocking customers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A person described as the Vietnamese employee believed to be in the video posted an apology saying it was filmed as a joke and that the fish was not spoiled or rotten. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The apology post and the account have since been deleted, according to the reports. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Online commenters called for the restaurant's location and whether the fish was actually served to be verified, and for the authorities to investigate. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The controversy spread to Vietnam, where netizens were divided between defending the use of fish that had been dead for days and criticising the mocking attitude. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A video spread online showing a woman cooking fish stew in what appears to be a restaurant kitchen, with the person filming saying the fish had been dead about a week and had green slime on it. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The video drew food-safety criticism and calls to identify the restaurant and check whether the fish was actually served. [ 1 , 3 ]
- A person presumed to be the Vietnamese employee in the video posted an apology saying it was filmed as a joke and the fish was not spoiled. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The apology post and the account were deleted after the video spread. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The controversy spread to Vietnam, where netizens were divided over the video. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The identity and location of the restaurant shown in the video Maeil Business and Asia Economy both say the location must be confirmed and neither names the restaurant or the city.
- Whether the fish shown was actually served to customers The video's narration says it is served, while the employee's apology denies the fish was spoiled or that there were other problems; the documents say the claim still needs verification.
- Whether any authority has opened an investigation The documents report only that online commenters are demanding an investigation; no official action is described.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Maeil Business reports the video and the apology, citing online communities and social media. [ 1 ]
- Korea Economic Daily publishes a headline report describing a Vietnamese employee who boiled rotten fish and mocked customers who said it was delicious. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy publishes a detailed report on the video, the apology and the divided reaction among Vietnamese netizens. [ 3 ]