S. Korean firm apologizes, pledges to fire employee over assault in Hanoi

In a letter of apology posted on Facebook on Wednesday, Chun Sung Woog, legal representative of Segyung Vina Co., Ltd., extended his apologies to the government of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people, the Korean Association in Vietnam, and all stakeholders affected by the photo booth incident in My Dinh Ward, Hanoi on the evening of July 11.

The company confirmed that the incident involved a Korean employee who is based at the company’s headquarters in South Korea.

During a business trip to Vietnam from July 9 to 14, this individual and another South Korean woman assaulted two Vietnamese women.

“We fully acknowledge that this behavior is unethical, utterly unacceptable, and contrary to the company’s core values, which include compliance with Vietnamese law, respect for local culture, and support for the development of our Vietnamese employees,” the letter reads.

As the incident occurred outside of working hours, the company became aware of it only after videos and reports circulated widely on social media.

Immediately upon learning of the incident, the company held an emergency meeting, contacted the victims and the venue management, and cooperated with police to investigate and address the situation.

The letter states that Segyung Vina and Segyung Hitech headquarters are fully committed to resolving this matter.

“We sincerely apologize to the victims and to the Vietnamese people for this serious incident. Segyung Vina pledges to make every effort to cultivate a sustainable cooperative relationship between Vietnam and South Korea.”

The firm also outlined specific actions, immediately dismissing the South Korean employee involved, and formally apologizing and offering fair compensation to the victims in good faith.

The company will actively cooperate with Vietnamese authorities to investigate the incident’s causes and prevent any recurrence.

Additionally, it plans to introduce a code of conduct for South Korean employees working abroad—including at Segyung Vina—and to conduct regular training sessions to prevent similar incidents in the future.

On Tuesday, Yonhap News TV reported details of the incident, which quickly drew widespread public attention online.

Many South Korean netizens expressed shame and condemned the behavior of the two women.

The incident occurred on the evening of July 11 at a photo booth in Hanoi, where two Vietnamese women had booked and paid for a photo session.

During their session, two South Korean women appeared outside the booth, shouting and demanding that the session end quickly—even though the allotted time had not yet expired.

When one Vietnamese woman reacted in surprise, one of the South Korean women suddenly hit her, grabbed her hair, and proceeded to punch and kick her repeatedly.

The other Vietnamese woman rushed to intervene but was threatened with violence if she continued.

The shop’s security cameras captured the entire incident.

Established in 2013 in Que Vo Industrial Park, Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, Segyung Vina Co., Ltd specializes in manufacturing adhesive tape for mobile phones and electronic equipment.