"Detained for Using the Restroom Without Buying Coffee"... Owner Blocked the Exit and Called the Police [What Do You Think?]

[The Financial News] A story has emerged about a man who was reported for business obstruction by a cafe owner after using the restroom without ordering a drink.
On the 30th, a post titled 'Can I report a cafe owner for unlawful detention or coercion?' appeared on an online community.
According to Person A, the author of the post, they urgently used the restroom at a large franchise cafe on the afternoon of the 27th.
Person A explained, "While out with my family, I urgently needed to use the restroom and went to the basement restroom of a large franchise cafe I saw nearby. About two or three minutes later, as I tried to leave, the cafe owner blocked the entrance with both arms."
The cafe owner told Person A, "Our store policy prohibits non-customers from using the restroom. You must place an order to leave."
Upon closer inspection, Person A noticed several signs at the entrance and inside the cafe restricting restroom use, such as 'No entry except for customers. To ensure a comfortable environment, non-customers are not allowed. No restroom use,' 'Not a public restroom. Use after payment only. If caught using without permission, you cannot pay with snacks, water, or Pororo Drink,' and 'Restroom use fee: 5,000 won.'
Person A apologized, saying, "I'm sorry for using the restroom in a hurry without saying anything. My child is waiting outside in the cold, so I'll make sure to use your services next time."
However, the owner continued to block Person A from leaving. At that moment, Person A's wife entered the cafe. After hearing the situation, she suggested, "Since our child is waiting outside, let's quickly buy a Pororo Drink and leave." The Pororo Drink was 1,400 won, cheaper than coffee.
But the owner insisted, "Pororo Drink is not allowed. You must order coffee."
Person A and their spouse argued, "Whether we buy a Pororo Drink or coffee is our choice. Once we buy a drink, we are customers." The cafe owner replied, "No, our policy is that you must buy coffee."
Person A stated, "From that moment, my guilt over using the restroom for free disappeared and I began to feel angry. My wife also became upset and raised her voice, saying, 'How can this be?' We argued for about two minutes."
Subsequently, the owner reported the couple to the police for business obstruction. However, the police determined there was no such offense. They also concluded that using the restroom was not illegal or subject to punishment.
Person A added, "After the situation ended and I returned home, I was overwhelmed with anger. The owner physically blocked the exit because I used the restroom for free and tried to force me to buy coffee I didn't want. This is an unjustifiable restriction of personal freedom."
Person A further stated, "I am considering reporting the cafe owner for unlawful detention and coercion."
Readers who saw the story commented, "The cafe owner is being too harsh," and "There's no need to go as far as reporting."
On the other hand, some said, "Why post about this when you did something wrong?" "The problem is treating a private restroom as a public one," "It's not a free public restroom, so the owner's demand is reasonable," "If it were me, I would have just bought a cup of coffee and moved on," "Instead of complaining, look at public restrooms. If not maintained, they become unusable in a day," and "In other countries, you have to pay to use restrooms."
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter