No Appeal for ‘Choco Pie Theft’ Incident, Prosecutors Confirm Acquittal

A delectable Choco Pie pairs with a Custard cake snack [KIM JUN-HEE]

On Tuesday, it was revealed that prosecutors will not pursue an appeal regarding the appellate court’s ruling that found a worker innocent of stealing two snacks costing 1,050 won (that’s about 70 cents) from a company office fridge last year.

This decision follows the Jeonju District Court’s announcement last Thursday, which overturned a previous ruling that had penalized the worker with a fine of 50,000 won. This initial verdict led to significant public outrage.

The worker faced allegations of munching on a 400 won Choco Pie—think marshmallows coated in chocolate—and a 650 won Custard cake without permission during an incident in January of the previous year at a logistics firm in Wanju.

The public prosecutors in Jeonju are respecting the appellate court’s verdict, making it clear they won’t be appealing to the Supreme Court. They have since finalized the results of this case.

In their statement, they emphasized, “We will keep up with our essential duties while considering the thoughts of the public.”

At first, the prosecutors aimed for a more severe punishment for the employee. However, after convening a civic committee to reevaluate their actions in light of public feedback, they opted to request leniency from the appeals court.

Source: Yonhap