'Ujum Qingdao' Could It Be That I Also Drank It... MFDS "Confirmed to Be for Domestic Use in China" (Comprehensive)

Domestic Export Products Manufactured at Separate Factory
Seokyeongdeok "Government Must Strengthen Food Inspections for China"

After a video showing urination on raw materials at the Qingdao Beer production factory was leaked and caused controversy, the importer clarified that "it is unrelated to products sold domestically."

According to BeerK, the importer of Qingdao Beer, the Qingdao Beer 3rd factory where the video was filmed only produces beer for the domestic Chinese market. The beer exported to Korea is manufactured at a separate factory, the importer claimed.

BeerK stated, "All Qingdao products we import are unrelated to the said factory," and added, "The Qingdao headquarters is currently fully shutting down the 3rd factory and is actively addressing the seriousness of the issue."

Qingdao Beer (left) / A man urinating on malt at Qingdao Beer Plant No. 3 (right) [Image source=Captured from Hongseong Newspaper]

They continued, "BeerK is also closely monitoring this issue and will continue to strive to provide safe and clean products to consumers."

On the 21st, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also said, "The manufacturing site in question was confirmed to be Qingdao Beer Co., Ltd. 3rd factory," and "This manufacturing site is not registered as an overseas manufacturing site in Korea, and the beer produced there has not been imported into Korea." The Ministry mandates registration of overseas manufacturing sites before import declaration.

Earlier, according to local media including Hongseong Newspaper on the 21st, a video was posted on Weibo on the 19th showing a man entering the malt storage area, a raw material for beer, at Qingdao 3rd factory in Pingdu City, Shandong Province, and urinating there.

In the video, presumed to be filmed inside the factory, the man wearing a helmet and work clothes climbed over a shoulder-high wall exposed on all sides, entered the area where raw materials were piled, looked around, and urinated.

The factory stated, "Due to poor image quality, it is difficult to verify authenticity from the video alone," suggesting the possibility of manipulation.

The Pingdu City Market Supervision Administration, which oversees the factory, said, "We have formed an investigation team and started an inquiry, sealing all raw materials at the related factory," and added, "If proven true, strict punishment will be imposed according to the law."

As the controversy grew, local public security authorities also launched an investigation. Qingdao Beer said, "We reported the matter related to the video to the public security agency and an investigation has begun," and added, "We will strengthen continuous management to ensure product quality."

Photo by Seokyeongdeok, Professor at Sungshin Women's University, Facebook capture

Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University requested the government to strengthen inspections on Chinese food imports after a video presumed to show an employee urinating at the Qingdao Beer 3rd factory was released, sparking controversy.

On the 22nd, Professor Seo wrote on Facebook, "Chinese food hygiene management has been controversial not only in this case but also regarding kimchi," referring to the so-called 'Naked Kimchi' incident in March 2021, when a Chinese man was filmed pickling cabbage in a tank while naked.

He emphasized, "Safe food is a critical issue directly related to the health of the people," and added, "More thorough government inspections are necessary for the import of Chinese food products."