'Poor owner, hang in there': Trash piles up outside Busan restaurant after weekends

Photos showing a massive pile of trash left by passersby in front of a restaurant in the Gwangalli area of Busan have drawn widespread criticism online.

The images spread rapidly on the social media platform Threads on Wednesday, accompanied by a post reading, "I feel sorry for the owner here."

The photos showed dozens of disposable beverage cups, plastic bottles, beer cans and other assorted garbage strewn across the steps beside the restaurant's entrance.

The person who posted the images wrote, "It ends up like this every time after a weekend evening. Hang in there, owner."

Commenters reacted with frustration. "Once one person starts littering, everyone follows," one user wrote, while another said, "Just looking at it stresses me out."

One user shared a similar experience, saying that after briefly stepping outside to sort trash bags in front of their shop, they returned less than a minute later to find garbage had already been dumped there — including a pet waste bag, an empty ice cream container and a cigarette pack.

Under current regulations, illegal dumping can result in a fine of up to 1 million won ($747). Fines are tiered by type of violation — 200,000 won for littering while resting or on an outing, and 200,000 won for discarding garbage in plastic bags, among other categories.