Interpol red notices sought for 3 Chinese nationals in Bundang restaurant case
Version 2: Police added that they are checking whether the suspects are linked to a similar incident in July, and reporting now specifies that the restaurant had used the leader's name for eight years before changing it, alongside expanded detail on the extradition route and possible prosecution in China.
In short
Police have requested Interpol red notices for three of four Chinese nationals accused of entering a Chinese restaurant in Bundang, Seongnam, early on 24 September and painting black lacquer and paint on its sign and interior, and spraying a substance believed to be pesticide on ingredients. Police say the suspects, who entered on tourist visas and left for China on the day of the incident, are also being checked against a similar case in July. Repatriation is uncertain because, police said, China has not honoured a South Korean extradition request since a 2002 treaty, and the restaurant has since changed its name and reopened.
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Police have requested Interpol red notices for three of four Chinese nationals accused of vandalising a Chinese restaurant in Bundang, Seongnam, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency. A police briefing on 6 October confirmed that arrest warrants were issued for all four and that a red notice request for the fourth suspect would follow. Because the three are already in China, police said it is unclear whether they can be brought back to South Korea. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
The four are accused of entering the restaurant around 02:40 on 24 September and painting its sign, entrance door, interior floor and fixtures with black lacquer and paint, and of spraying a substance believed to be pesticide on food ingredients. Police listed the allegations as special property damage and special trespassing. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Investigators believe the group entered South Korea on tourist visas (C-3-2), prepared the act in advance and carried it out during the Chuseok holiday, when the restaurant was closed. They left the country by plane on the day of the incident, heading to Yantai and Shanghai, according to the investigation; CBS NoCut News reported they left through Incheon International Airport. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Cooperation with Chinese authorities is expected to be difficult. A police official told Hankook Ilbo that China has not responded to any extradition request since the two countries signed a criminal extradition treaty in 2002, adding that police are discussing with the Justice Ministry how the suspects could instead be punished in China. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that police are pushing an extradition request with the Justice Ministry while also examining punishment under Chinese law. [ 3 , 6 ]
Police are examining whether the group acted out of displeasure that the restaurant used the name of China's top leader as its business sign, a point also raised in CBS NoCut News's account of the controversy over the motive. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the restaurant had operated for eight years under that name and changed it after the incident, while CBS NoCut News reported the restaurant has resumed business. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun also reported that police are investigating whether the suspects are the same people behind a similar incident in July. [ 6 ]
Why it matters
The case turns on judicial cooperation with China at a point when the suspects are already outside South Korea; police said the 2002 extradition treaty has not produced a single Chinese handover, so any punishment may depend on Chinese authorities. Because the restaurant's sign used the name of China's top leader, the vandalism carries political sensitivity beyond an ordinary property crime, and police are now also examining a possible link to a similar earlier incident.
Key facts
- Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police obtained arrest warrants for four Chinese nationals and requested Interpol red notices for three, with a request for the fourth to follow. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The suspects are accused of entering a Chinese restaurant in Bundang, Seongnam, around 02:40 on 24 September and painting the sign, door, interior floor and fixtures with black lacquer and paint, and of spraying a substance believed to be pesticide on ingredients. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Police believe the group entered on tourist visas (C-3-2) and carried out the act during the Chuseok holiday, when the restaurant was closed. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The suspects left for China by plane on the day of the incident, heading to Yantai and Shanghai, and one outlet reported they left through Incheon International Airport. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- A police official said China has not complied with any extradition request since the 2002 bilateral treaty, and police are discussing with the Justice Ministry how the suspects could be punished in China instead. [ 3 , 6 ]
- Police are examining the possibility that the group acted out of displeasure that the restaurant used the name of China's top leader as its business name. [ 3 , 5 ]
- The restaurant had operated for eight years under that name and changed it after the incident, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun, which also reported police are investigating whether the suspects are the same people behind a similar incident in July. [ 5 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Police requested Interpol red notices for three of four Chinese nationals and plan to request one for the fourth. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Arrest warrants were issued for four Chinese nationals in connection with the case. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The incident took place at a Chinese restaurant in Bundang, Seongnam, around 02:40 on 24 September, and involved lacquer, paint and a substance believed to be pesticide. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The suspects entered on tourist visas and left for China on the day of the incident. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Police are looking into whether the restaurant's use of the Chinese leader's name as its business name was the motive. [ 3 , 5 ]
- The restaurant changed its name after the incident. [ 5 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the suspects will be repatriated to South Korea. The documents say the suspects are already in China, and police said no Chinese extradition request has been honoured since the 2002 treaty, so the outcome is unknown.
- The exact motive for the vandalism. Police said they are examining whether the restaurant's name was the reason, but no motive has been confirmed; CBS NoCut News described it as a controversy raised by some.
- The identity, whereabouts and red notice status of the fourth suspect. Police said only that a red notice request would be made soon.
- Whether the suspects are linked to a similar incident in July. This is reported by a single outlet, Kyunghyang Shinmun, and described as an investigation into whether they are the same people, not a confirmed link.
- How the suspects were identified and how far Chinese cooperation will go. A police official told CBS NoCut News that details are limited, that the suspects are identified from passport tagging during entry, and that the direction of joint investigation depends on inter-state cooperation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 24 September, suspects allegedly enter the Chinese restaurant in Bundang, Seongnam, and paint the sign, door, floor and fixtures with black lacquer and paint, and spray a substance believed to be pesticide on ingredients. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo reports that Chinese nationals wanted over damage to the “Xi Jinping” Chinese restaurant have left the country and that three are subject to a red notice. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports that Chinese nationals in the “Xi Jinping Chinese restaurant” case have been red-noticed. [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports that police applied for Interpol red notices for three of the four suspects and that repatriation is uncertain. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the red notice request and the same details of the incident and the suspects' departure for China. [ 4 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the police briefing confirming warrants for four and red notices for three, and that the restaurant has changed its name and reopened. [ 5 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the red notice and that police are also checking whether the suspects are tied to a similar July incident. [ 6 ]