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Cafe owner withdraws embezzlement complaint against former part-time worker in Cheongju

Published: 03 Apr. 2026, 10:06

The Cheongju Cheongwon Police Precinct in North Chungcheong [JOONGANG DB]

A cafe owner in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, who filed an embezzlement complaint against a part-time worker for taking three drinks home after work, has withdrawn the charges.

According to police on Thursday, the cafe owner submitted a withdrawal through a lawyer to the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Precinct the same day, dropping charges against the former part-time employee. The decision appears to have come after public backlash grew following media coverage of the case.

In response to the controversy, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched a special inspection into the cafe, while the franchise headquarters has also begun an on-site probe.

Despite the withdrawal, the police investigation will continue because occupational embezzlement can be prosecuted even without a formal complaint. However, authorities may review whether to refer the former worker to a minor offense review committee, taking into account the withdrawal and other circumstances.

The owner had previously filed a complaint alleging that at around 10:34 p.m. on Oct. 2 last year, the then-worker made three drinks worth 12,800 won ($9) without authorization and took them home.

The worker argued that the drinks were all supposed to be discarded because they were made incorrectly, adding that such items were typically handled at employees’ discretion and that the owner had tacitly allowed the practice. Police, however, determined there was sufficient evidence of wrongdoing and referred the worker to prosecutors without detention.

The case was later sent back to the police after prosecutors requested further investigation to supplement the evidence.

Separately, another franchise owner has also been criticized for receiving a 5.5 million won settlement from the worker, alleging that during about five months of work at their cafe, the worker had provided drinks worth a total of 350,000 won to acquaintances for free and accumulated customer reward points for personal use.

“It is heartbreaking to think about the burden faced by a young part-time worker just entering society,” Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said. “Those entering the workforce for the first time are people our society must protect together.”

Both cafe owners reportedly apologized to a media outlet, saying they “acted without sufficient thought.”

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 HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]