According to the poster 'A,' he urgently had to use the restroom at a large franchise cafe in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on the 27th around 4-5 PM.

A explained, 'I was out with my family and had to pee so bad that I ducked into the B1 restroom of a large franchise cafe nearby. About 2-3 minutes later, as I was trying to leave, the owner blocked my path at the entrance with both arms.'

The owner told A, 'Our store policy is no restroom use for outsiders. You can only leave if you order something.'

A reportedly apologized, saying, 'I'm sorry for using the restroom urgently without asking first,' and added, 'My kid is waiting outside in the cold, so I'll be sure to visit properly next time.'

However, the owner continued to block A from leaving. A's wife then entered the cafe. After hearing the situation, the wife said, 'The kid is waiting outside, let's just quickly buy a Pororo drink and go.' A Pororo drink costs 1,400 KRW, which is cheaper than coffee.

But the owner refused, demanding, 'Pororo drinks don't count. You must order a coffee from the kiosk.'

A's couple argued back, 'Whether we buy a Pororo drink or a coffee is our freedom. Aren't we customers the moment we buy a drink?' The owner insisted, 'No. Our store policy is that you must buy coffee.'

A said, 'At that point, the guilt I felt for using the restroom for free completely vanished, and I started getting angry. My wife got mad too, asking "What kind of rule is that?" and we argued loudly for about 2 minutes.'

The owner then warned, 'If you say one more word, I'm calling the police for business obstruction,' and actually made the report.

According to A, the police who arrived at the scene determined that there were no grounds for business obstruction. They also ruled that using the restroom was not illegal or subject to punishment.

A expressed his anger: 'After coming home and thinking about it, I was consumed with rage. They physically blocked the exit so I couldn't leave just because I used the restroom for free, and forced me to buy a coffee I didn't want. This is a groundless restriction of physical freedom.'

He then asked netizens for their opinions, saying, 'I'm planning to report the owner for false imprisonment and coercion—what do you guys think?'

At the entrance and inside the cafe A used, there were signs posted such as: 'Customers only. No outsiders allowed for the comfort of our guests. Restroom X,' 'Not a public restroom. Use after payment. (If caught using without permission) Snacks, water, or Pororo drinks are not accepted for payment,' and 'Restroom usage fee: 5,000 KRW.'

Some netizens who heard the story commented, 'The owner is way too stingy' and 'Doesn't seem like something worth calling the police over.'

On the other hand, there were comments criticizing A, saying, 'Why are you posting this like you did something right, you jin-sang (nightmare customer)? If you used someone's restroom without permission, just buy a coffee. Why all the excuses and bringing up the kid?'

Other comments sided with the owner. One netizen criticized A's 'audacity' (적반하장), saying, 'It's because of people like this that every shop has to put passwords on their bathrooms. They're only "sorry" when they're desperate, but once they're done, they start talking about false imprisonment.'

Guy gets reported for business obstruction after using a cafe restroom without buying coffee

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What do you guys think?

Though it looks like they're definitely going to install a passcode lock now.