In the Heart of Myeongdong... Man Drinks Someone Else's Beverage Stored at Store Entrance

Taiwanese Influencer Films and Publishes Video
Drinks Others' Beverages Left on Clothing Store Drink Cooler Recklessly

A video of a 'thoughtless' man freely drinking someone else's beverage placed on a drink storage shelf at a clothing store in Myeongdong, Seoul, has been exposed overseas, causing embarrassment.

On the 15th, Taiwanese influencer Mr. A posted a roughly 30-second video on TikTok with the ironic caption, "Free drinks in Myeongdong. At the end, he makes his own special drink." In the video, a middle-aged man is seen drinking various beverages placed on a drink storage shelf installed in front of a clothing store. The drink storage shelf is designed for customers who bring drinks to the store to store their partially consumed beverages, as drinks are not allowed inside the store.

A man drinking someone else's beverage carelessly placed on a drink storage stand in front of a clothing store in Myeongdong, Seoul [Image source: TikTok capture]

The man in the video repeatedly lifted drinks from the shelf, took a sip, put them down, then picked up another drink and drank again. Mr. A and his group approached the man, gesturing for him to stop, but the middle-aged man avoided eye contact and ignored them. He even picked up two drinks and mixed them together to drink.

Mr. A said, "I was shocked when I saw this scene while visiting Korea recently, so I posted it," adding, "I told the man (who drank someone else's beverage) 'You shouldn't do that,' but it was useless." The nationality of this man is unknown.

Netizens who watched the video were horrified. They commented, "I thought he was Chinese, but it's Korea. This is so shocking," "I thought he was drinking leftover drinks, but he was drinking beverages stored by others," "I'm too scared to leave my drinks on the storage shelf," "Drinking someone else's drink... his ethics and hygiene are completely destroyed," and "He set up a buffet by himself." There are also speculations that the man might be Chinese, related to recent reports of various disruptive behaviors by Chinese tourists in the media. However, his nationality has not been confirmed.

In July, Chinese tourists caused controversy by smoking and carelessly discarding cigarette butts at Seongsan Ilchulbong, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in Jeju. Despite repeated announcements in Chinese and signs stating that smoking in non-smoking areas may result in fines, they continued smoking without concern. Around the same time, a convenience store in Jeju complained about the trash piles left behind by Chinese tourists.

Last month, a shocking video surfaced showing a girl, presumed to be a Chinese tourist, urinating in an outdoor parking lot in Jeju. Photos shared on online communities show the girl squatting near the sidewalk with her pants down, while a woman, presumably her guardian, watches holding tissue. Earlier, in June, a similar incident was captured where a boy, also presumed to be a Chinese tourist, was seen urinating by the roadside in Jeju next to his guardian.