Police in Korea are investigating a man for a suspected hate crime after he verbally accosted two Taiwanese tourists before attacking them with a soju bottle.
According to JTBC News, the incident happened at around 11pm on 6 April.
The man had followed the pair out of a restaurant where he had earlier picked a fight with them and made anti-Chinese remarks.
The man began harassing the two tourists while they were dining at a restaurant in Seoul.
A restaurant employee who witnessed the incident said he made aggressive and hateful remarks directed at the pair.
He also reportedly mentioned Chinese President Xi Jinping while making derogatory comments.
Source: JTBC News on YouTube
After finishing his meal, the man grabbed an empty soju bottle and left the restaurant.
Source: JTBC News on YouTube
CCTV footage shows the tourists watching him leave, visibly uneasy.
Source: JTBC News on YouTube
Worried after the tense encounter, the two Taiwanese tourists approached restaurant staff for help.
Using a translation app, they asked for directions to their next destination.
A staff member offered to escort them.
Unbeknownst to the tourists, the man had been hiding near the restaurant entrance for nearly 10 minutes.
As they stepped outside, he began tailing them.
Source: JTBC News on YouTube
Roughly 100m away, at a bus stop, he launched his attack, swinging the empty soju bottle and striking one of them in the head.
When the restaurant staff member stepped in to intervene, he was assaulted as well.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage to track the man down and plan to charge him with aggravated assault.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from JTBC News on YouTube.