• Worker acquitted after being accused of stealing office snacks
• Court of Appeals confirms there was no intent to steal and that eating the snacks was allowed

A worker in South Korea was acquitted after a legal battle lasting nearly two years, during which he was accused of stealing snacks worth less than one dollar.

The logistics company he worked for filed a lawsuit against him last year for taking a "Choco Pie" – a popular snack in South Korea – and a small custard worth 1,050 won (73 cents) from the office fridge.

Although the prosecution considered the violation minor and filed a brief indictment, the worker insisted on his innocence and requested a formal trial.

Initially, the court fined him 50,000 won, roughly fifty times the value of the snacks he took, but he appealed the ruling and ultimately won the legal challenge.

The company had argued that contract workers, unlike permanent employees, were not allowed to open the fridge without permission. However, the Court of Appeals confirmed in its final ruling that workers were allowed to take snacks from the office fridge, and security staff also ate during night shifts.

Based on testimony from 39 other contract workers who had eaten snacks from the fridge, the Court of Appeals concluded that "it is difficult to infer that the defendant had intent to steal."

The defense lawyer told reporters after the ruling that the worker "felt very embarrassed that it went to trial," noting that he had "simply been hungry early in the morning and took a Choco Pie."

The lawyer added: "There were many twists along the way, but I am very grateful for this outcome, and I believe the defendant feels the same way."

The ruling sparked widespread debate in South Korea, with the Workers’ Union comparing the defendant to Jean Valjean in the French novel Les Misérables, whose hero was imprisoned for stealing bread to feed his siblings.