Photoism, the photo booth service provider, announced on its Facebook page on 14/7 that an altercation between customers occurred at its Hanoi branch on 11/7, and that it had reported the incident to the authorities.
Numerous South Korean news outlets reported on the incident, adding that the altercation began when an intoxicated South Korean woman arrived at the photo booth. She waited outside a booth and, impatient with two Vietnamese women taking photos inside, urged them to hurry up. The confrontation escalated into a physical assault.
In an article published on 15/7, Yonhap News TV labeled the South Korean woman a "national embarrassment" after she suddenly punched the Vietnamese woman in the upper body and then hit her on the head with a bag.
The incident sparked outrage on Theqoo, a major South Korean online community forum, garnering over 1,000 comments, most of which condemned the tourist and demanded repercussions. "I read that she fled back to South Korea. I hope she is arrested and brought back to Vietnam to face punishment," one user wrote. Another commented, "Don't call yourself South Korean." Many Theqoo users expressed surprise that a tourist would commit such a serious offense in another country.
Other comments reflected the anger and disgust felt by many. "I think she should be banned from leaving the country to prevent further incidents like this," one user said. Another pointed out the complicity of a bystander: "The person standing next to her, pretending to intervene but then grabbing the Vietnamese woman's hair along with the attacker and smirking, is disgusting."
Power News, a Seoul-based newspaper covering politics, economics, and social issues, reported that the South Korean tourist may be an employee of a phone parts manufacturing company. However, a company representative neither confirmed nor denied her employment, stating that they are investigating and will issue an official statement soon.
Hoai Anh
