Chinese tourist arrested for damaging Tesla cybertruck in South Korea's wealthiest neighborhood

By Hoang Vu April 22, 2025 | 11:34 pm PT

Chinese tourists pose for a group photo at the Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 5, 2016. Photo by Reuters

Police in South Korea have arrested a Chinese tourist for allegedly damaging a parked Tesla cybertruck valued at around 100 million won (US$70,400) in Seoul's Gangnam, the country's richest neighborhood.

The 30-year-old man is under investigation on charges of special assault, property damage, and obstruction of business, according to a source from the Gangnam Police Station, as reported by Chosun Biz on Monday.

He is suspected of kicking the side mirror of the truck, which was parked outside a hospital, at around 2 a.m. on April 15, after entering South Korea on a travel visa, Korea Joongang Daily reported.

Following the incident, the suspect allegedly moved to a nearby BMW dealership, where he kicked and damaged the passenger doors of four test-drive vehicles.

In addition, he was accused of attacking a hotel employee with a flashlight and knocking over a delivery motorcycle in the same neighborhood.

Authorities tracked down the suspect using nearby surveillance footage and apprehended him in Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

Gangnam is widely regarded as South Korea's richest neighborhood, particularly the areas covering Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Yongsan-gu, and Songpa-gu, known for their expensive real estate, high concentration of wealth, and high standard of living, according to Business Insider.