A delivery worker brings food ordered through a food delivery platform. [Yonhap]
A delivery worker brings food ordered through a food delivery platform. [Yonhap]

A story about a man who asked a restaurant to send him 50,000 won ($32) worth of food on credit — claiming his pregnant wife had not eaten properly in days — has stirred controversy online.

On June 29, a post appeared on the online community Bobaedream under the title "Why would someone do this? (Caution: reality check)" written by a restaurant owner identified only as A, who runs a takeout and delivery establishment.

A said he tries to accommodate any request that falls within reason and common sense, and shared the details of a recent order he had received.

The order included rose tteokbokki, seasoned charcoal-grilled chicken and assorted fried foods totaling around 50,000 won, with payment deferred. In the special requests field, the customer had written: "My wife is pregnant and hasn't been able to eat for seven days. I'm a day laborer and have no money. I'll pay once I find work. If that's not possible, please cancel the order from the start."

A said his first reaction was sympathy, but on closer inspection he found several things suspicious. The delivery address did not include an apartment unit number, and a note saying "my pregnant wife will come downstairs to receive the food" struck him as odd.

"I tried calling but got no answer, and when I looked at the order more carefully, it was quite a spread," A said. He ultimately canceled the order. "What strength would a pregnant woman who hasn't eaten for a week have to come downstairs to pick up food?" he wrote. "I can't know whether his wife was really starving or whether he was just hungry himself, but in a situation like this, how could I possibly help?"

A also recalled a past experience in which he had helped someone in genuine need, and the person later came to his shop to thank him in person. "We both cried," he wrote. "I'm writing this because I'm upset that people who abuse situations like this end up hurting truly kind restaurant owners."

Commenters reacted with skepticism. "What kind of logic is 'I'm a day laborer so I have no money'? Don't give all day laborers a bad name," one wrote. Others said they could not understand why someone who had gone seven days without eating would order chicken, fried food and tteokbokki, with some suggesting the person should have sought help from a local community center instead. "Everyone is struggling to get by these days, but looking at what he ordered, he has no conscience at all," another commenter wrote.


bbo@heraldcorp.com