Restaurant named after Xi Jinping attacked by Chinese nationals in South Korea

Meanwhile, 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.

Key points

• Police on Tuesday remarked the four suspects were Chinese men between the ages of 20 and 40.
• "People claiming to run businesses in China proposed large sums if we changed the name, " he informed The Chosun Daily.
• Although its menu additionally includes some South Korean offerings, according to screenshots shared online, xi Jinping restaurant serves a broad set of Chinese dishes.
• The restaurant's owner informed local media he picked the name Xi Jinping as he "wanted it to be the best Chinese restaurant ".
• The restaurant has been running for eight years but only began getting demands for a name change over the past year, The Chosun Daily documented.

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

Meanwhile, the restaurant's owner informed local media he picked the name Xi Jinping as he "wanted it to be the best Chinese restaurant ". He continued that "There was no political intent".

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

According to The owner, 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 individuals even offered capital, he noted.

"People claiming to run businesses in China proposed large sums if we changed the name, " he informed 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 problems.

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

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

Police on Tuesday remarked 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 worldwide to detain someone pending extradition.

Although its menu additionally includes some South Korean offerings, according to screenshots shared online, xi Jinping restaurant serves a broad set of Chinese dishes. Google reviewers have given it an average score of four out of five stars.

For now, restaurant named after Xi Jinping attacked by Chinese nationals in South Korea remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.