Controversy Over Tips Demanded Under the Pretext of 'Employee Dinner Expenses' at a Local Cold Noodle Restaurant

A cold noodle restaurant in Seoul is facing online backlash for requesting additional charges from customers under the guise of 'employee dinner expenses.'

This 'sneaky tip' culture appears to be increasingly spreading within the South Korean dining industry, resulting in heightened consumer dissatisfaction.

On the 21st, a post titled 'Cold Noodle Restaurant Attempting to Introduce Tip Culture' was shared on an online community.

The photo shared by the post's author showed the kiosk screen of the restaurant, which displayed an option to add 300 won under the item 'Employee Dinner Expenses.'

'Employee Dinner Expenses'

The author expressed their frustration, stating, "300 won isn't a significant amount, but I can't understand why they would want to burden customers with employee dinner expenses. Even if it's an optional choice, the attempt to introduce tip culture in this country is unsettling."

Consumer Backlash and the Spread of 'Sneaky Tip' Culture

Many netizens who came across the post shared their critical opinions.

Responses largely included comments such as, "It's natural for the business owner to bear employee dinner expenses," and "Requesting tips while taking orders through a kiosk is contradictory and unpleasant."

Recently, in the South Korean dining industry, there have been numerous controversies related to the practice of 'sneaky tips,' whereby establishments encourage customers to pay additional costs through optional choices.

Particularly in South Korea, where the tipping culture has not traditionally taken root, there seems to be an even stronger aversion from consumers toward such attempts.

A similar incident occurred last month.

A pizza shop faced severe criticism for stating that they would not accept orders through delivery apps if customers did not choose a tip of 2,000 won.

At that time, the establishment was reported to be associated with a specific franchise, but the headquarters clarified, "The franchise agreement has already been terminated, and they caused consumer confusion by unlawfully using certain menu names," indicating plans for legal action.

The various forms of 'tip demands' attempted in the South Korean dining industry are causing consumer resentment and highlighting the clash with Korean consumer culture.

Image source: Online community, 'Forced Tip' controversy involving the pizza shop's delivery app order screen / Online community