Ministry of Labor Expands Labor Inspections to All Affiliates of London Bagel Museum

A total of 18 business sites, including the headquarters, are subject to inspection

Labor authorities have decided to expand labor inspections to cover all branches and affiliates of the headquarters, including every location of the well-known bakery cafe London Bagel Museum.

Provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor

On November 4, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it would broaden its inspections to include all business sites under the headquarters (LBM) of London Bagel Museum. The expanded scope now covers 18 business locations: LBM, 10 London Bagel Museum branches (7 stores and 3 factories), 1 Artist Bakery branch, 4 Layered branches, and 2 Highwest branches.

Previously, the ministry launched a labor inspection on October 29 targeting the Incheon branch of London Bagel Museum, where a young employee in his 20s reportedly died after working long hours in July, as well as the company headquarters. During the inspection, the ministry conducted employee surveys and interviews, which revealed evidence of some legal violations. As a result, the ministry decided to expand the scope of its inspection.

With the expansion, the ministry will increase the number of inspection teams by deploying additional labor inspectors from local offices responsible for each branch. The inspection will not only address labor standards such as long working hours, proper allocation of leave and holidays, and wage arrears, but will also examine 63 cases of occupational safety and health law violations that were reported and approved as industrial accidents over the past three years (from 2022 to September of this year).

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon stated, "Through this inspection, we will thoroughly clarify all suspicions related to the corporation," adding, "If any legal violations are found, we will hold those responsible fully accountable." He further emphasized, "We will root out improper practices at worksites to ensure that illegal or unlawful business operations are never mistaken for corporate or management innovation."