A restaurant in Busan accidentally served cleaning alcohol instead of drinking water to a customer dining with his pregnant wife, prompting controversy that has been further fueled by what the customer called the restaurant's inadequate apology.
According to JTBC's "Incident Chief," which aired the story Wednesday, the incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Dec. 23 at a restaurant in Busan. The complainant, identified as A, visited the restaurant with his pregnant wife and parents-in-law and ordered a meal.
After taking a sip from the water glass an employee had brought, A immediately detected a strong alcohol smell and spat it out. The employee had reportedly mistaken cleaning alcohol for drinking water and served it to the customer. "Even after just one sip, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach and dizziness," A said. "What if my pregnant wife had swallowed it? It's terrifying to think about."
According to relevant toxicity data, ingestion of alcohol used for cleaning purposes can cause central nervous system depression and impair liver, kidney and heart function. Reproductive toxicity, including reduced fertility and increased fetal mortality, has also been reported, meaning the consequences could have been severe had the pregnant woman actually swallowed the substance.
The bigger issue, according to A, was the restaurant's response after the incident. The owner called A and acknowledged the employee's mistake but responded, "If you're going to report it, go ahead. I understand the employee already said sorry, so how am I supposed to apologize?"
When A pointed out that "a proper apology has not been made," the owner ended the call by saying, "Alright, do as you wish," appearing to accept the prospect of being reported. A subsequently said he would report the restaurant to the local district office and police.
The Food Sanitation Act requires business operators to store food and non-food items separately. Whether this case constitutes a violation of those regulations will require an investigation by authorities.
