With controversy arising over a Chinese company collecting used sanitary pads and reprocessing them for sale, Tao (real name Huang Zitao), a former member of the group EXO, has announced that he will start a hygiene product business.
On the 6th, Tao criticized the controversy over the sale of defective sanitary pads during a social media (SNS) live broadcast, saying, "It's really disgusting," and stated, "I cannot tolerate corporations sacrificing women's health for profit."
Tao also mentioned, "I will set up a sanitary pad factory and livestream the production process 24/7," adding, "I will ensure public oversight over the entire process, from raw material procurement to packaging."
Earlier, last month, it was revealed that a waste recycling company in China had repackaged and sold sanitary pads and diapers that had been deemed unfit for disposal, which sparked controversy.
It was reported that the company purchased B-grade diapers and sanitary pads at 50,000 to 280,000 won per ton and made profits exceeding 30 times after the repackaging process.
In the company's warehouse, unhygenically managed sanitary pads and diapers were left scattered, and footage showed workers packaging them barehanded, which caused public outrage.
Prior to the incident, Tao was reportedly preparing to enter the hygiene product business. He emphasized, "This business did not start because of the incident; I had been in contact with sanitary pad suppliers months ago," and noted that "his wife, Shuiyang, and other female team members tested the products for 90 days. I cannot say there are no shortcomings, but I can assure you that they are clean and safe."
Some analysts suggest that Tao's announcement of the sanitary pad business is a strategic move to draw public attention and enhance his brand value. One outlet remarked, "Tao is probably the best artist with the greatest sense for the internet."
In the past, Tao promised during a live broadcast that if he surpassed 15 million followers, he would give away 10 domestic cars and subsequently actually gave away 30 cars. His followers have increased to 30 million.
Tao's father was a real estate tycoon who ranked 7th among the wealthy in Qingdao and passed away in 2020. Tao debuted in South Korea as a member of EXO in 2012 through SM Entertainment, and three years later, he filed a lawsuit for the confirmation of non-existence of exclusive contract validity against the agency before leaving the group and pursuing activities in China.