Bitter bubble tea complaint leads to clash between Korean-American family and police

The YouTube channel “ArrestFlix,” known for posting police bodycam footage, released a video on July 20 showing a Korean-American father and daughter arguing with police over a bubble tea order.

The video captures an event that occurred on August 26, 2022, around 8 p.m. at a bubble tea shop near the H Mart in Duluth, Georgia. According to the footage, a man in his 60s, referred to as “A,” and his daughter ordered a green tea-flavored drink and took it home.

Unhappy with the drink’s bitter taste, they called the shop to complain, demanding an immediate apology and stating they would return to the shop.

Upon returning, “A” handed his drink to the Korean manager, and insisted that the manager try it. When the manager refused and offered to make a new drink, “A” began shouting and threatened to throw the drink, prompting the shop to call the police.

In the video, “A” claims the manager was rude and that both the manager and some staff insulted him. The manager countered, saying he offered to make a new drink but “A”’s aggressive behavior led staff to intervene. He also stated that “A” cursed at him in Korean.

After hearing both sides, the officer suggested that the manager refund the drink to “A”, which the manager agreed to. However, “A” continued to raise his voice, asserting his right to complain as a customer. The officer responded, urging “A” to act maturely and not throw a tantrum over a drink. Another officer warned “A” that he could be arrested for disorderly conduct if he did not calm down.

During the altercation, “A”’s daughter arrived and apologized for her father’s behavior, explaining that they were upset because the staff had been rude and did not apologize over the phone.

The police fined A for public disturbance and issued a ban from the shop. “A”’s daughter, identified as a doctor, told the officer issuing the fine that she knew the legal system well enough to understand the situation. The officer responded that they had considered both sides and witness accounts and concluded that “A”’s behavior was excessively aggressive.

The video, within five days of being posted, has garnered over 700,000 views. Viewers criticized “A”’s behavior, with comments such as “Why mention being a doctor?” and “Embarrassing to act like that in the U.S.” Korean community members who watched the video identified “A” as a pastor at a Korean church, expressing their shame over his conduct.

BY KYEONGJUN KIM, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]