Video of Tsingtao employee peeing in brewery decimates company's sales [REWIND 2023]

A video seemingly shows an employee urinating in a Tsingtao Brewery factory in China [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A video of an employee at a Tsingtao brewery in Shandong Province, China, appearing to be urinating in a malt tank circulated online. The incident, which took place in October, has sent shock waves through the market, significantly impacting both domestic sales and import volume of Tsingtao beer.

Sales of Tsingtao beer in major convenience stores declined by more than 50 percent. Simultaneously, the import volume of Chinese beer into the country dropped 40 percent, totaling a mere 2,281 tons compared to the previous year.

BK, Tsingtao's domestic importer, clarified that beer produced in the factory where the incident occurred does not enter the domestic market for local consumption. Consumer confidence has taken a hit, despite that clarification, prompting BK to implement a voluntary retirement program for all of its employees.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]