Pink frog statue was taken from outside Korean restaurant by man who walked past
A pink frog statue that was unceremoniously taken from a Korean restaurant in Tanjong Pagar has been returned to the grateful establishment.
The frog is part of a pair of blue and pink statues sitting on the five-foot way outside Yeyak Korean Restaurant along Neil Road.
Source: Google Maps
Man casually takes pink frog from outside Korean restaurant
In a now-deleted Instagram post on Monday (9 June), Yeyak said they noticed the frog named Ippeun-i had gone missing when they opened up in the morning.
When they checked CCTV footage, they realised the culprit was a man wearing a white T-shirt and white cap who had walked past in the early hours of Sunday (8 June) morning.
The clip shared by Yeyak, which had a timestamp of 1.11am, showed the man walking behind some people when he noticed the frogs.
Source: @yeyak_sg on Instagram
He casually went up to the pink frog and held it with both hands.
Source: @yeyak_sg on Instagram
He then proceeded to walk away with the frog in his arms. A woman behind slapped him on his back with her hand, as if admonishing him for being naughty.
Source: @yeyak_sg on Instagram
Korean restaurant shocked, says frog was rare gift
YeYak said they had just opened their outlet along Neil Road and were shocked that such a thing could happen in Singapore.
The frog statue was given to them by Jinro, a South Korean soju brand, and was a rare promotional gift with an estimated value of S$500.
Thus, they had made a police report about the incident and hoped the statue could be returned.
Man was drunk, gave frog to a couple
On Tuesday (10 June), Yeyak updated on Instagram that the frog had been returned to them.
The restaurant’s boss, named only as Mr Lee, told Shin Min Daily News that the man who took the frog was drunk at the time and intended to take it to a nightspot.
He met a couple outside who said their kids would like it, so he just gave it to them.
Man apologises, pays compensation
After seeing media reports on the incident, the man “regretted his actions” and contacted the restaurant, expressing his intention to compensate them.
The woman who took the frog also got in touch with the restaurant to return it.
Eventually, the man paid for transportation for the couple to bring the frog back.
He also visited the restaurant to apologise personally and paid compensation amounting to about half the cost of the frog, Mr Lee said.
Restaurant thanks public for support
In the Instagram post, the restaurant joyfully announced that Ippeun-i was “home”.
Source: @yeyak_sg on Instagram
They expressed amazement at the support they received from the public and thanked those who sympathised, adding:
I will live with a truly grateful heart towards everyone.
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Featured image adapted from @yeyak_sg on Instagram.
