A security company employee was found not guilty in the Choco Pie lawsuit, which had dragged on for nearly two years. ⒸHankookilbo

A security company employee, who was dragged into a trial for nearly two years for unintentionally eating a 1,050 won snack, has been found not guilty in the appeal trial. 

Public opinion is largely in favor of relief. It's not in our nature to accuse someone over a single Choco Pie. 

Although he was acquitted, the accused had to endure mental anguish, having wasted nearly two years of his life on the trial. Similarly, the accuser also wasted money and time over a 1,050 won item. 

This incident has taught people a few lessons: one is that even a single Choco Pie should not be taken without the owner's permission, and another is that involving public authorities in trivial matters not only makes one's own life difficult but also incurs significant criticism from others. 

Although there are claims that the company's true motive for reporting him was retaliation for his union activities, even so, resorting to such actions over food is excessive. It's natural to get indigestion when you don't let things slide that could have been overlooked. 

From a common perspective, going to court over a mere 1,050 won snack seems harsh. However, in principle, theft is theft, so prosecutors and courts have no choice but to make judgments based on the law.

The trial for the 1,050 won snack incurred enormous societal costs, including the time of prosecutors and judges over two years. Nevertheless, a trial cannot be avoided simply because the trial costs exceed the damages. There is no such thing as an economically justifiable lawsuit. 

While the accused also had to spend a tremendous amount of money and endure emotional distress, reputation is as important as money and time. If someone is innocent, they deserve to have their innocence recognized. 

In the end, the accuser faced criticism, the accused endured emotional distress, physical hardship, and wasted money, the prosecutors who indicted the accused were criticized, and the judge who did not issue a suspended sentence in the first place was also criticized. There was truly no winner. 

If there was a sole winner, it would be the Choco Pie company, which received significant advertising benefits from the Choco Pie lawsuit. 

Orion's Choco Pie, launched in 1974, is a bestseller that has surpassed 50 billion cumulative sales over 50 years. Its cumulative revenue also far exceeds 8 trillion won. In Vietnam, Choco Pies are reportedly placed on ancestral altars as a gesture of gratitude for ancestral affection, and in Russia, they are so popular that they are often out of stock. 

Whether they won or lost the trial, the parties involved may never want to look at a Choco Pie again, but for third parties like us, the Choco Pie lawsuit might unexpectedly make us crave one. 

Culture Correspondent