'SPC Bread Boycott' Backlash Hits Paris Baguette Franchise Owners Directly

Concerns Over Innocent Franchise Owners Suffering from Provocative Boycotts on SNS
Paris Baguette Franchise Owners Association Calls for Social Movements to Ensure Worker Safety

On the afternoon of the 17th, a memorial service was held for A, a worker in his 20s who died after being caught in a sauce mixer on the 15th, at the SPL bakery factory affiliated with SPC in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Since the death of a female worker in her 20s at SPL Pyeongtaek Factory, a subsidiary of SPC Group, an SPC boycott movement has spread mainly on social networking services (SNS), raising concerns about the damage to Paris Baguette franchise owners. The franchise owners have appealed to refrain from reports using provocative boycott slogans.

On the 20th, various SNS and online communities have been sharing lists of SPC subsidiaries such as Paris Baguette, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin, Shani, and Samlip Food along with hashtags like 'SPC Bulmae' (SPC boycott) and 'Stop SPC,' spreading the boycott movement.

Netizens are urging participation in the boycott, claiming that SPC Group’s management practices are unethical with provocative phrases such as "I cannot eat blood-stained bread" and "Murder company SPC."

However, as these provocative phrases spread, Paris Baguette franchise owners are expressing concerns about potential damage. The Paris Baguette Franchise Owners Association stated in a position paper on the 19th, "We earnestly request that reports using provocative language unrelated to the accident, such as 'blood-stained bread' and 'bread made with sacrificed lives,' to attract public attention be refrained from."

On the afternoon of the 20th, a participant holds a placard at the Seoul memorial event for the victims of the fatal accident at the Pyeongtaek SPC affiliate SPL's bakery factory, held in front of the SPC headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The association said, "We fully understand the media’s role in pointing out corporate faults and suggesting solutions," but criticized, "Reporting with provocative and violent language without considering the harm to innocent franchise self-employed owners and their families and encouraging boycotts is no different from corporate behavior that ignores workers’ human rights and seeks to maximize profits."

They continued, "We fully recognize and sympathize with the role of the media and civil society in exposing and improving corporate wrongdoing, but we believe that reporting that encourages boycott movements is wrong," adding, "Reports should guide social movements aimed at securing worker safety in industrial sites by exposing corporate misconduct and management methods."

Meanwhile, SPC Group officially apologized for the fatal accident and promised to identify the cause and take follow-up measures. On the 17th, SPC Group Chairman Heo Young-in issued an official apology in his name, saying, "I pray for the repose of the deceased who lost their life in an unfortunate accident at the workplace, and offer my deepest condolences and apologies to the bereaved family," and added, "We will devote all efforts to prevent recurrence through improving the work environment and investing in facilities so that such heartbreaking incidents never happen again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.