



By Jane Han



NEW YORK ― In the recent turf war between elderly Koreans and a New York McDonald's outlet, Korean seniors have largely been portrayed as victims of racism, disrespect and a cultural barrier.



But, it is actually not in the eyes of many Koreans here in New York.



Sure, McDonald's may have gone a little too far by calling the cops on a group of senior citizens sipping coffee for too long. But people in the area know that the daily patrons have also abused their rights at the fast-food joint.



"The McDonald's outlet is famous, or should I say infamous,'' says Kim Ji-sun, 27, who lives down the street from the chain restaurant in Flushing, the part of New York with the largest Korean population.



"Walk into the restaurant and, at one glance, you can see that a bunch of old Korean people are hogging the entire place.''



The McDonald's franchise at the corner of Parsons and Northern boulevards has grabbed media attention in recent weeks when the general manager called the police to remove a group of Korean seniors who spend hours there each day sitting and chatting over a single cup of coffee.



According to the restaurant, which is a "hot spot'' among older Korean immigrants in the area, Korean seat-hogs have been a long-standing problem.



"I go there 30 minutes before lunch time to beat the rush. I see no line in front of the counter, but there aren't any seats left. It's always the Korean seniors who take up most of the seats before anyone else,'' says Sul Ji-hae, who avoids the particular McDonald's location because of the regular crowd.



No matter how early, it's tough for most people to beat the elderly Koreans. They're at the restaurant as early as 5 a.m. and stay until after dark, according to the restaurant management.



After a few weeks of feuding, McDonald's and the group of Koreans compromised last weekend to limit the hours patrons can stay, and what hours they need to avoid. In the process, Korean media outlets have reported Korean seniors as victims of the situation.



But many here are saying that the fast food chain may be the real victim.



"These Korean seniors share a $1 cup of coffee between two to three people and get refills. Sometimes, they even take the cups home, wash them and bring them back for refills. As a Korean, it's really embarrassing to see this,'' wrote one user on an online thread criticizing the McDonald's boycott campaign that was prompted soon after the standoff started.



Senior sympathizers blamed the lack of facilities available for Korean elders in the immigrant community. But that didn't get much sympathy from Flushing residents who know that there is a Korean senior center just down the block.



"It's not that these people don't have anywhere else to go. They just like going to this McDonald's because that's where everyone gathers. They don't even have to set a date and time.



"Go there any day, any time and they'll find senior friends they can chat with. It's an established meeting spot so it's tough to break that apart,'' says Seo Ji-woo, who runs a rice cake shop across the street.



In fact, Korean patrons are continuing to gather and sit for hours at the popular venue in violation of the compromise, according to media reports and passers-by in the area.



The latest incident may come off as unusual, but apparently, this restaurant isn't the only one having trouble dealing with Korean senior citizens. A McDonald's and Wendy's in Fort Lee, N.J., another area with a high Korean population, are also crowded with Korean seniors from daybreak till nighttime, according to local Korean residents.



"It takes a lot for business owners to kick out customers,'' says Michael Cho, a member of the Korean American Association of Greater New York. "I hope that this incident will encourage Korean elders to practice better customer etiquette.''







