London Bagel Museum CEO apologizes in wake of worker death, vows better working conditions
Published: 10 Nov. 2025, 19:27
Updated: 11 Nov. 2025, 14:44
![Green Party Korea members hold a political rally in front of the London Bagel Museum brank in central Seoul on Nov. 3, addressing the death of a worker at the bakery chain. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/11/11/00ea4c2d-7337-4a97-854a-6f5c9cb0f04c.jpg)
Green Party Korea members hold a political rally in front of the London Bagel Museum brank in central Seoul on Nov. 3, addressing the death of a worker at the bakery chain. [YONHAP]
The CEO of the embattled London Bagel Museum bakery chain issued an apology on Monday and vowed to improve the working conditions of staff after facing backlash from authorities and consumers over the possible death of an employee by overwork.
“We are cooperating fully with the Ministry of Employment and Labor's inspection and doing everything we can to build a better workplace,” CEO Kang Kwan-goo said in a statement. “We feel once again the heavy social responsibility of ensuring that every team member can work safely. I sincerely apologize.”
"The company’s rapid growth had outpaced its internal systems and structure. We will reduce the risk of work-related injuries and safety accidents."
London Bagel Museum came under fire when a 26-year-old employee was found dead on July 16 at the company dormitory after working at the newly opened Incheon branch. The employee’s family claimed the employee had worked between 58 and 80 hours a week, citing KakaoTalk messages and public transportation records, and filed for industrial accident compensation.
In response to the death, Kang said the company introduced an enterprise resource planning system tailored for human resources (HR), added HR specialists, established a new industrial safety framework with designated staff and reformed HR policies to include a flexible work system that ensures compliance with the 52-hour workweek.
He added that he plans to introduce a direct communication channel between employees and the CEO.
However, Kang pushed back against what he described as "misinformation about working conditions," particularly reports of 63 workplace accidents over the past three years.
"The figure reflects 'full reporting' of all injuries, including knife cuts, minor burns and commuting accidents, which are common in kitchen environments," he said. “We could not prevent every incident in a food and beverage business. But we will establish more detailed safety rules and continuously monitor conditions to reduce risks.”
Responding to concerns about excessive hours at new store openings, Kang said the company would adjust staffing and “take more proactive steps to reduce working hours.” He also said a new system would be introduced earlier than planned to ensure accurate time tracking.
The victim's family withdrew their accident compensation claim on Nov. 3 after reaching a settlement with the company.
The Labor Ministry is currently conducting a full investigation into working conditions at the Incheon branch and the company’s headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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