London Bagel Museum 20s Employee Dies After Long Working Hours
- Taein Lee
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Oct 28, 2025
Taein Lee
London Bagel Museum (LBM) is a bakery brand established in September 2021 near Anguk Station in Seoul. The brand gained popularity for its chewy bagels, diverse flavors, and visually distinctive store designs. Leveraging its popularity among young people, LBM has expanded to seven stores nationwide and plans to open locations abroad in Japan and Singapore. Recently, LBM’s operator reportedly negotiated a stock purchase agreement (SPA) worth approximately 200 billion KRW with private equity firm JKL Partners.
However, LBM is facing scrutiny after a 20s employee died in July, raising concerns about labor conditions. According to the Justice Party, the employee worked 58 to 80 hours per week, including a 21-hour shift shortly before his death. Over 14 months, he moved between four stores in Gangnam, Suwon, and Incheon, renewing his contract three times. Experts have suggested that a combination of chronic and acute overwork may have contributed to his death.
A close friend stated on an online community that the employee was healthy and athletic, making his sudden death shocking. A added that during their last conversation, the employee mentioned a heavy workload, but the seriousness of his situation was not fully realized.
The incident has drawn political attention. The Justice Party criticized LBM for promoting itself as a popular brand among young people while neglecting the long working hours imposed on employees. The Progressive Party noted that in the weeks leading up to his death, the employee’s weekly working hours increased by 37% compared to the previous 12-week average, with daily shifts exceeding 15 hours.
LBM has not yet issued an official statement regarding the employee’s death or working conditions.
