Man fined for taking snacks from company fridge without authorization

At the first trial on May 4, the Jeonju District Court sentenced the 41-year-old driver to a fine for theft.

He was accused of taking a 400-won Choco Pie and a 600-won snack package from the fridge of a logistics company in Wanju District, Jeollabuk Province, on Jan. 18 last year, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

Initially, prosecutors viewed the case as minor and of negligible value, opting for a simplified procedure without a formal indictment. However, the driver maintained his innocence and requested a formal trial.

He claimed he had heard from fellow drivers that snacks in the fridge were available to anyone. "I just took a Choco Pie and a snack based on that, so I don’t understand how this is theft," he said.

The refrigerator manager at the company disputed his account: "Our staff had previously handed out snacks to drivers, but no driver had ever taken anything without permission."

The court found the defendant guilty, citing testimonies and company regulations on restricted access. "The second floor of the building, where the incident took place, has a separate partition between the office area and the waiting area for drivers. The truck driver was not allowed into the office area, where the fridge was located at the far end," the court stated.

A security guard also testified that they had never seen or used the fridge.

The court ruled in favor of the logistics company after determining that while employees distributed snacks from the refrigerator to drivers, drivers themselves were not permitted to access or take items without authorization. It emphasized that the office where the fridge was kept was clearly separated from the designated waiting room for drivers.

"The defendant must have fully known that he did not have the authority to dispose of the items in the refrigerator," the court said, according to Maeil Business Newspaper.

Following the verdict, the driver filed an appeal to a higher court.