Alleged assault by Korean on Vietnamese in Hanoi photo booth sparks outrage

What appeared to be a physical altercation between a Korean woman and a Vietnamese woman at a photo booth in Hanoi, Vietnam, has ignited outrage across Vietnamese social media after footage of the incident went viral on social media.

A Korean woman and a Vietnamese woman are seen engaging in a physical altercation in CCTV footage of the incident on July 11. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A physical altercation appeared to break out between a Korean woman and a Vietnamese woman at a photo booth in Hanoi, Vietnam, has ignited outrage across Vietnamese social media after footage of the incident went viral on social media.

The incident took place around 9 p.m. on Friday in Hanoi’s My Dinh area, according to Vietnamese media reports, including kenh14, on Monday.

According to a Facebook post by the Vietnamese woman involved in the incident, she and a friend were inside the booth, using their paid time, when two Korean women waiting outside began pressuring them to speed up. Tensions escalated when one of the Vietnamese women showed confusion, prompting one of the Korean women to strike her arm and knock off her hat.

The Korean woman reportedly pulled the Vietnamese woman’s hair and punched her, while the Vietnamese woman appeared to fight back in anger. CCTV footage shows the Korean woman pushing the Vietnamese woman into a corner and kicking her as bystanders attempted — and failed — to break up the fight.

Following the incident, the Vietnamese woman reported suffering from headaches, nausea and a loss of appetite. A photo booth employee told local media that it was the first time such an incident had occurred there.

“While the two Vietnamese women were inside the booth, the two Korean women outside were being very aggressive,” the employee said. “One of the Korean women struck the other woman’s hat, prompting retaliation. Though staff and others tried to stop it, they couldn’t.”

The victim posted details of the incident and CCTV footage on social media, prompting widespread anger across Vietnamese online communities.

As backlash mounted, one of the Korean women reportedly claimed she had been drunk at the time and was frustrated by the length of the photo session. She said she agreed to pay 60 million dong ($2,290) for the victim’s medical expenses — a claim the Vietnamese woman later denied in a follow-up post, saying she had not been contacted about compensation.

The photo booth brand operating the location issued a public statement expressing “deep regret and concern,” adding that it prioritizes “the safety and positive experience of all customers, regardless of nationality, age or gender.”

The company said it reported the incident to local police and provided guidance to the affected parties. Since the incident came to light, the photo booth has been bombarded with one-star reviews on Google.

Local police are currently investigating the case, having secured CCTV footage and eyewitness testimony.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]