"5 Minutes from the Late Choi Boolam's Resting Place"... Paju Restaurant Draws Criticism for Offering Free Soju and Beer

Paju Camping-Style Barbecue Restaurant Offers Free Alcohol
Faces Backlash for Marketing Around Actor's Death Despite Saying, "It Wasn't for Business"

A restaurant in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, has come under fire for promoting free soju and beer while emphasizing that it is just a five-minute drive from the planned burial site of the late actor Choi Boolam.

Actor Choi Bulam, whose real name was Choi Younghan, has died at the age of 87. He was known as “the nation’s father,” embodying the image of a Korean father. Yonhap News.

According to social media posts and other sources on Nov. 2, the owner of a camping-style barbecue restaurant in Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju, recently posted: "Mr. Choi Boolam will be laid to rest at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Tongil-dong, Paju, our neighborhood, on Nov. 2."

The owner paid tribute to the actor, writing, "I feel truly grateful and honored that he, who was as friendly and warm as a neighborhood uncle and had a positive influence on our society for so long, will rest in peace at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in our neighborhood."

The owner also designated Nov. 2 through Nov. 8 as a "period of mourning" and announced that customers dining at the restaurant during that time would receive one bottle of soju and one bottle of beer free of charge.

After noting that the restaurant is about a five-minute drive from Donghwa Gyeongmo Park, the owner wrote, "We hope many people looking for a special place and a special atmosphere will visit."

The post also included the restaurant's address, phone number and photos of the premises, along with hashtags such as "Choi Boolam" and "Choi Boolam burial site."

Online users criticized the owner for emphasizing the restaurant's distance from the burial site and offering free alcohol while claiming to pay tribute to the late actor.

A post shared by a restaurant in Paju in tribute to the deceased. Screenshot from social media.

Users reacted with comments such as, "Are they using the public's grief to drum up business?", "Why advertise at a time like this?" and "If this wasn't for promotional purposes, why include the restaurant's information and the free offer?"

As the controversy grew, the restaurant responded in the comments, saying, "As a longtime fan of Mr. Choi Boolam, I was deeply saddened by the news of his passing. I posted because I was glad and proud to learn that his burial site would be in our neighborhood."

The owner added, "I wasn't trying to boost business," and said they had regularly posted on social media two or three times a week.

However, the restaurant also said it would politely decline visits from users who had left critical comments. Some users criticized the restaurant's response in turn, saying, "It's even more troubling that they don't think they've done anything wrong."

Choi Boolam, born Choi Younghan, died at the age of 87 on Oct. 29 while receiving inpatient treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. His funeral was held under the auspices of ChildFund Korea, and the funeral procession departed on the morning of Nov. 2. His burial site is at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Tongil-dong, Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.