A Parent Who Ordered 280 Breads for School but No-Showed Faces Charges for Obstruction of Business

"Apology is Formal... No Mention of Compensation"
Imprisonment or Fine if Obstruction of Business is Established

A story was posted about someone who inquired about ordering 280 pieces of bread to be distributed at their child's school and academy, only to be sued for a 'no-show.' The bakery owner countered, saying, "The customer had confirmed the reservation," and added, "I believe there was intentionality, not a mistake."

According to JTBC's 'Case Manager' on the 7th, bakery owner Mr. A received a group order on the 23rd of last month and made a total of 280 pieces of bread, including 120 chiffon cakes and 140 fresh donuts. The total value of the bread was 1,288,000 KRW.

A customer is examining products at a bakery in Seoul. This is an unrelated stock photo.
Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

However, the customer who ordered the bread did not show up on the day, and the phone number provided in advance was false. Mr. A had to throw away all the bread he had painstakingly made.

Mr. A explained, "At the time of the order, the customer who inquired about the possibility of a group order confirmed the reservation date two days later by checking with my staff and even looking at the calendar. (The customer) said they might be busy and unreachable but promised to come on the bread pickup day to pay. They left the bakery and came back in to double-check, asking, 'This is a reserved order, right?'"

On the other hand, Mr. B admitted that it was true he visited the bakery two days after inquiring about the group order to discuss the schedule but stated, "If I were to order bread, I thought about how many pieces and around what time, but it wasn't exact. I said I would call the next day and pay in advance via bank transfer if we proceeded."

Mr. B later said, "After returning home, I suffered a minor burn on my leg and was slightly injured. The plan to buy bread and visit the school and academy was canceled because my child did not want it. I couldn't contact the bakery because of the injury. About a week later, I stopped by to say I would order next time, but suddenly they saw me and got annoyed," he recounted.

Mr. A reported Mr. B to the police on charges of obstruction of business. This was because all seven digits of the phone number Mr. B had provided in advance were different, suggesting intentionality rather than a mistake.

Mr. A said, "The customer keeps sending text messages saying 'sorry,' but the late apology feels formal, and there has been no mention of compensation."

Meanwhile, under criminal law, if obstruction of business by deception is established, it can result in imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 15 million KRW. The act of exposing a false phone number and causing the bakery to prepare food without showing up, rather than a 'no-show' due to changed circumstances, can be judged by investigative authorities as a planned act.