All four suspects who broke into a Chinese restaurant named after Chinese President Xi Jinping and carried out a "paint terror" attack have been confirmed to be Chinese nationals.
It was revealed that they left the country immediately on the day of the crime.
The Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced today (September 27) that it has identified four Chinese male suspects in their 40s, including A, on charges including joint property destruction.
A and the others are suspected of breaking into a Chinese restaurant in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, at around 2:40 AM on September 24, the first day of the Chuseok holiday, and spraying lacquer and paint across various parts of the store.
They are also accused of damaging credit card terminals and chairs, and spraying a substance presumed to be pesticide on food ingredients.
With their faces covered by masks and hats, they committed the crime for about an hour before immediately fleeing in a taxi and leaving the country through Incheon International Airport.
Police stated that they fled to separate locations in China, such as Shanghai and Yantai.
Police believe they committed the crime knowing that the restaurant would be closed during the Chuseok holiday.
Currently, the most likely theory is that they committed the crime out of dissatisfaction with the restaurant's name.
The owner has been running the restaurant under the same name for eight years, stating that there have been continuous complaint calls and visits taking issue with the name during that time.
However, with all the suspects fleeing to China, the investigation to uncover the motive and any potential masterminds is inevitably expected to be prolonged.
Police plan to continue their pursuit through international judicial cooperation.
Reported by Yeo Hyeon-gyo | Edited by Na Hong-hee | Designed by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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