Chinese tourists caught brawling at make-up counter in South Korean duty free store

A brawl between two Chinese women over make-up supplies at a South Korean duty free shop has been caught on camera.

In a video captured by a bystander, two women are seen punching and kicking each other in the middle of sleek designer stands, eventually falling to the ground and pulling at each others’ hair.

A man accompanying one of the women attempted to stamp on her opponent’s head before being dragged off by bystanders. It was not clear if his kicks had made contact.

The fight at a Lotte duty free outlet in Seoul was believed to have been sparked by a row at the make-up counter.

The video, reportedly shot on August 15, has gone viral on Chinese and Korean social media, with Chinese commentators naming the opponents “black shirt woman” and “white shirt woman,” and vilifying the man who tried to get involved.

“Not only did the man not try and pull his wife away, he joined in the fight,” one commentator posted on Weibo. “Better to not let them come home.”

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The media chatter surrounding the footage prompted the Chinese embassy in South Korea to get involved, reminding tourists to obey the law while in the country and wait their turn and behave “rationally” if shops are running low on the items they want.

Some of the online commentary surrounding the video questioned whether the two women were buying agents, know in China as daigou, vying over the last of a product for a client.

The embassy’s statement also warned visitors that they should declare any duty-free goods they intended to resell at a profit to customs when they return to China.

Korea is a common destination for such commissions from Chinese consumers, given the popularity of Korean-made products like cosmetics and the country’s relatively low value-added tax.

Buying agents have become ingrained in China’s shopping culture in response to the country’s steep taxes on luxury goods.

These taxes have been reduced in recent years, but buying agents continue to ferry exclusive and luxury products into China, providing a boon to the South Korean economy.

Vietnam wants Chinese tourists, but only those willing to spend

China’s embassies routinely issue warnings to tourists when incidents involving the country’s citizens abroad hit the headlines.

In recent months their advice has covered everything from a reminder not to remove glass “pebbles” from a popular beach near the Russian port of Vladivostok to cautioning visitors to respect local religious sensibilities after two women were expelled from Malaysia for doing a “hot dance” outside a local mosque.

Following the latest incident it remains unclear whether either “black shirt” or “white shirt” ended up with the products they wanted, or if any charges were pressed against the participants.

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