SEOUL, Sept. 22 -- A legal dispute over a chocolate pie and custard cake worth 1,050 won (about RM3.15) has sparked debate in South Korea over workplace discipline, theft laws and labour rights.

The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the case began on January 18, 2024, when a 41-year-old subcontracted security worker took the snacks from a refrigerator inside the main office of a logistics company in Wanju County, North Jeolla.

At the first appeal hearing last Thursday, the judge remarked, "At the core, this is about a chocolate pie worth 450 won and a custard cake worth 600 won. It makes one wonder whether it had to go this far."

The company reported the incident to police, who charged the worker with theft and forwarded the case to p...