Online brouhaha ensues after woman throws coffee at anti-Chinese protesters in Seoul

A video showing a woman dousing anti-China protesters with coffee in downtown Seoul has set off a debate on social media.

A woman is seen throwing coffee toward an anti-China rally held in Seoul in a video that went viral on Nov. 10, 2025. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A video showing a woman dousing anti-China protesters with coffee in downtown Seoul has set off a debate on social media.

A 20-second clip titled “Korea’s anti-communism march” began circulating on Threads and other platforms on Monday. The footage, seemingly shot in September, shows protesters marching through Mapo District shouting, “Chinese Communist Party out,” and directing verbal abuse at Chinese people.

The protesters can be heard using the derogatory slur jjanggae — a pejorative term for Chinese people — and shouting phrases such as “go back home to your continent.” At one point, a woman throws a cup of coffee at the marchers. A man is struck by the coffee, and another man approaches the woman and raises a fist. Police arrived and separated the woman from the protesters, ending the confrontation.

The video has prompted heated exchanges among Korean and Chinese netizens. One Chinese user asked, “Why are you insulting Chinese people who are just standing there?” and blamed the protesters. Some Korean users defended the marchers, telling critics to “go to China” if they question protests denouncing the Chinese Communist Party and defending liberal democracy.

Anti-China demonstrations around Seoul have been growing in size ever since the visa-free entry for some Chinese group tourists was temporarily restored in September. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit recently held in Korea also fueled the protests.

At a cabinet meeting in September, President Lee Jae Myung ordered an active response to the Myeongdong demonstrations and said, “That is not freedom of expression. It’s hooliganism. It must not be allowed.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY SHIN HYE-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]