The worker, a subcontracted delivery driver for a logistics firm, was charged with theft for taking a Choco Pie – a popular South Korean snack – and a mini custard worth ₩1,050 (US$0.73) from an office fridge last year.

Prosecutors deemed the offence minor and filed a summary indictment, but the driver insisted he was innocent and requested a formal trial.

The defendant claimed other delivery drivers had told him “there are snacks in the fridge, feel free to eat them”, according to court documents.

However, the firm argued that drivers were not allowed to “open the refrigerator without permission” unless they were offered snacks.

A court found him guilty and fined him ₩50,000 – around fifty times the value of what he had eaten.

The worker immediately appealed, with a new trial kicking off last month.

Experts have told local media the legal fees paid by the defendant could amount to roughly 10,000 times the value of the snacks eaten.

The case has sparked public outcry in South Korea, with labour unions comparing the worker to Jean Valjean, protagonist of French classic novel “Les Miserables” who is jailed for stealing bread to feed his siblings.

It was even raised in a heated parliamentary debate this week.

The next hearing is scheduled next week, with two witnesses for the defence set to testify.

Shin Dae-kyeong, the head of the Jeonju district prosecutors’ office, has said he will review the case “within the bounds of common sense”.

Shin compared the furore to a 2020 case in which a convenience store clerk was indicted for eating a ₩5,900 pack of braised pig’s feet.