"When I asked for a new one, the Musinsa staff said, 'Why?'" Foreign customer mistreatment sparks controversy

[The Financial News] A video showing a staff member at a clothing brand store, known as a "K-fashion mecca" and a must-visit spot for tourists in Korea, responding inappropriately to a foreign customer has sparked a wave of criticism.

On the 16th, the YouTube channel "Yeodano," which has about 460,000 subscribers, uploaded a video titled "I visited Korea with my sweet Chinese boyfriend." The channel follows the daily life of a Korean-Chinese international couple.
The controversial scene occurs when a Chinese man, referred to as Mr. A, visits a clothing brand store with his Korean girlfriend.
Mr. A brought the clothes he had chosen to the counter and told the staff, "I'd like to buy this in XXL." The staff member asked, "One size bigger?" and then gave a baffling reply: "It's hanging out there, so please go back and look for it yourself."
When Mr. A held up another white item and asked, "Could I get a new one of this, please?" the response was even more puzzling. The staff member shot back, "Why?"
Taken aback by the unexpected question, Mr. A replied, "Sorry?" The staff member then said, "It's the same as the one on the rack. I'm just asking if you have a reason," implying that they needed an explanation before bringing out a new item.

In the end, the staff member reportedly brought out a new item only after the Korean girlfriend intervened, explaining, "It's because the stockroom is in the basement."
The video did not reveal the name of the store, but comments identified it as the Musinsa Hongdae Store. Musinsa has been seeing a growing number of foreign visitors at its offline select shops in major tourist areas of Seoul such as Myeong-dong, Hongdae, and Seongsu-dong. In particular, spending by Chinese customers in their teens and twenties has surged.
Online users condemned the staff member’s attitude as inappropriate.
Comments included, "Did they treat him like that because he’s a foreigner?", "This is an embarrassment to Korea," "Why should I have to read the staff’s mood when I’m paying with my own money?", "If there’s a new item in stock, anyone would prefer that one—why do we need to give a reason?", and "Let’s at least maintain basic manners."

Many others chimed in with similar experiences.
One user wrote, "Isn’t that Musinsa?" and added, "I once took my parents there in a good mood, but when my dad asked about a size, the staff looked him up and down and said, 'These clothes are for young people,' then started tidying up the clothes my parents had touched. It completely ruined the mood, so we left."
Another commenter said, "Musinsa is not just unfriendly but outright rude to both Koreans and foreigners, so this doesn’t even surprise me," and continued, "Foreign customers can’t help but think, 'Am I being discriminated against because I’m a foreigner?' even in the same situation. That’s why this kind of attitude deserves even harsher criticism."


Comments pointing to internal problems at the store also drew attention.
A user who introduced themselves as a former part-time worker at the Musinsa Hongdae Store wrote, "I quit in less than a month," and claimed, "I’ve worked for over a year at other brands, but here, full-time staff and part-timers gang up on newcomers and even chat about personal matters in front of customers."
Musinsa’s response also became an issue. The company posted a comment on the video using its official YouTube account as a form of apology.
Musinsa stated, "First, we would like to extend our sincere apologies for the discomfort caused during the interaction between our store crew and the customer," adding, "We will strengthen staff training to ensure we can provide a better shopping experience from the perspective of customers who visit our stores in person."
The company continued, "Once again, we apologize for the unfriendly service, and we will strive to greet you again with improved service."
However, the comment was deleted in less than a day. Currently, only screenshots of the apology are circulating through online communities.
Users reacted by saying, "Where did the apology go?" and "I came to read the apology, but it’s gone."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter