A controversy over overwork has erupted in South Korea involving the popular bakery chain, London Bagel Museum (LBM). A 26-year-old store manager at the Incheon branch, Jung Hyo-won (phonetic), was found dead this July in a company-provided dormitory. His family claims the death was caused by chronic overwork, filing for occupational accident compensation with the South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor. However, LBM has denied the overwork claim and refused to provide the employee’s detailed attendance records, sparking widespread public attention in South Korea.
According to the Daily Labor News, Jung had worked at the company for just 14 months. His family reconstructed his work schedule using shift records, calendars, and messaging app conversations. They report that Jung worked 80 hours in the week prior to his death. In particular, he worked more than 13 hours daily for four consecutive days to prepare for a store opening, often without guaranteed breaks, and even on scheduled days off.
Under South Korean labor regulations, if an employee’s workload in the week before a cardiovascular-related death exceeds the average of the previous 12 weeks by more than 30%, the death may be classified as due to overwork. Jung’s 80-hour week was 37% higher than his 12-week average of 58 hours, clearly surpassing this threshold. Records indicate he worked from 9 a.m. until nearly midnight the day before his death, messaging his partner that he “was so busy I didn’t even eat a bite,” highlighting the extreme fatigue and lack of basic rest in his work environment.
In response to the family’s claim, LBM stated it “cannot agree with the overwork death assertion,” citing significant discrepancies between company-verified hours and the family’s records. The company also refused to submit fingerprint or app-based attendance data to verify its claim.
Adding to the controversy, a senior company executive reportedly sent threatening messages to Jung’s family, warning that if they pursued occupational compensation for overwork, the company would publicly assert that Jung’s death was not caused by overwork. The executive also criticized the family as “highly unethical.”
This situation is in stark contrast to LBM’s impressive financial performance. According to South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service, LBM operates seven branches, generating 79.6 billion KRW (approx. RM 2.3 billion) in sales and 24.3 billion KRW (approx. RM 710 million) in operating profit in 2024—a year-on-year increase of 121% in sales and 92% in profit. Its operating profit margin of 30.5% is three times higher than the average bakery (around 10%).
The company’s apparent prioritization of profit over employee health has triggered social backlash in South Korea. Jung’s family has formally requested that authorities recognize the death as a work-related accident, and the case continues to draw national attention.
