Restaurant near late actor Choi Bool-am's burial site pulls promotional post after backlash

The owner of a restaurant that used the death of late actor Choi Bool-am to promote the business softened after a wave of online criticism, with users asking whether it was appropriate to advertise off someone's grief.

A camping barbecue restaurant in Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, deleted a social media post Tuesday that had highlighted the eatery's proximity to Choi's burial site.

The restaurant had uploaded the post Sunday, writing that "Teacher Choi Bool-am will be laid to rest at XX in our neighborhood tomorrow," alongside a photo of the late actor and video footage of the restaurant's interior and exterior.

"We are truly grateful and honored that he — who was as warm and familiar as a neighborhood ajeossi and had a positive influence on our society for so long — will rest in eternal peace in our neighborhood," the restaurant wrote.

The post then invited customers to visit, announcing that one bottle of soju and one bottle of beer would be offered free to patrons from Monday through Sunday of that week. "We hope that many people seeking a special atmosphere with special guests will visit our restaurant, located just five minutes from XX," it read.

The post was tagged with hashtags including "Paju barbecue," "Paju camping restaurant," "Paju pet-friendly" and "Paju outlet restaurants," along with search terms such as "Choi Bool-am burial site" and "Choi Bool-am."

The post drew swift criticism from internet users, who wrote comments such as "Is it right to advertise off someone's grief?", "You're calling this promotion?" and "You'd be better off taking this down." The restaurant responded Monday, saying it had posted out of pride and joy that "the burial site of someone resting in eternal peace is in our neighborhood."

The owner denied any promotional intent, saying the post was not meant to help business and was simply part of a routine of posting two to three times a week. "Depending on how you look at it, there may be room for misunderstanding," the owner added.

The owner also said: "We politely ask those who think negatively and have posted comments not to visit our store. I am simply proud that the person I respect and love will be laid to rest in our neighborhood."

But the criticism continued even after the explanation, and the restaurant ultimately deleted the post.

Meanwhile, Choi died Thursday at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, where he had been receiving inpatient treatment. He was 87. After undergoing surgery for a herniated disc in March last year, Choi stepped down from KBS 1TV's "Koreans' Dining Table," a program he had hosted for 14 years since 2011, and continued rehabilitation. His condition had reportedly deteriorated in recent weeks. Choi was laid to rest at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.