Death of 26-year-old worker at popular bakery raises speculation of overwork

The death of a 26-year-old employee who reportedly worked nearly 80 hours a week at the popular Korean bakery chain London Bagel Museum has sparked speculation that overwork may have been a significant factor.

The minor Justice Party issued a statement Monday under the title, “London Bagel Museum should not avoid responsibility for the death of a young worker,” saying the employee in their 20s died in July after working 58 to 80 hours a week.

According to the progressive party, the worker died 14 months after joining the company in May last year.

“The day before the death, the worker arrived at 9 a.m. and left just before midnight. Five days earlier, the worker reportedly worked 21 hours in a single day,” the party said, suggesting that the employee may have died from both chronic and acute overwork.

The employee had been transferred several times during the 14 months of employment — from Gangnam to Suwon in Gyeonggi Province and then to Incheon — each time under a new contract.

The bereaved family has applied for industrial accident compensation, but “LBM, which operates London Bagel Museum, has refused to provide documents related to the worker’s hours,” the party said. “The company continues to insist that its record of working hours differs from the family’s claims.”

The family reportedly filed for compensation on Oct. 22.

London Bagel Museum opened its first store in Anguk-dong, Seoul, in September 2021 and quickly gained popularity, drawing long lines even before opening hours. The chain now operates seven locations nationwide. In July, private equity firm JKL Partners acquired the bakery’s operator, LBM, for 200 billion won ($139 million).