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'Bloodstained bread': SPC factory death sparks boycott of KBO collaboration

Published: 28 May. 2025, 12:14 Updated: 17 Jun. 2025, 10:41

SPC Samlip plant in Sihwa Industrial Complex, Gyeonggi [JOONGANG ILBO]

A consumer boycott is hitting the KBO after the recent death of a worker at an SPC Group factory, casting a shadow over its “KBO Bread” collaboration with the company.

On Tuesday, authorities conducted a joint inspection of an SPC Samlip bakery factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi, where a worker in his 50s was killed on May 19.

Siheung Police Precinct, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the National Forensic Service and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency carried out an on-site inspection of the Siheung-based Sihwa factory starting Tuesday afternoon. The inspection is part of the investigation into the death of a 56-year-old worker who was fatally caught in a cooling conveyor belt on May 19 while applying lubricant directly to the machine.

“We plan to look into the overall operation of the machinery, safety protocols and any other potential issues,” said Jang Ji-young, head of the criminal division at the Siheung Police Precinct.

An investigation has been opened into seven factory employees for occupational negligence resulting in death.

Public criticism of SPC has intensified as fatal accidents continue to occur at its factories. The Sihwa facility involved in the latest incident also produces the “KBO Bread,” a product line launched in March in collaboration with the KBO. Some baseball fans have begun signing petitions opposing the SPC-KBO partnership.

Authorities arrive at th SPC Samlip plant in Sihwa Industrial Complex, Gyeonggi, on May 27. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A crowdfunding campaign titled “Truck Protest Against KBO Bread Collaboration” was posted on the open campaign platform Parti. Comments on the post included, “I’ve stopped buying even hoppang [steamed buns] because I can’t give children bloodstained bread,” and “Companies that treat workers as tools must be driven out of the market.” Social media users are also sharing lists of SPC affiliates, such as Paris Baguette and Baskin Robbins, urging others not to purchase their products.

SPC factories have seen three fatal incidents over the past three years. On Oct. 15, 2022, a worker in their 20s died after becoming caught in a sauce mixer at the SPL bakery factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi. On Aug. 8, 2023, a man in their 50s died in a similar accident at the Shany plant in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. Five nonfatal injuries have also been reported.

The Experts for Serious Industrial Accidents Network, a group of scholars and experts on workplace safety, issued a statement on May 21, saying, “The latest incident occurred with equipment that is over 30 years old, lacking basic safety devices such as protective covers and emergency stop switches. This is a structural failure stemming from SPC’s lack of substantial efforts to replace outdated equipment or improve safety systems.”

The ″KBO Bread″ co-developed by Samlip and the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) [SPC]

A civic group named People's Welfare Countermeasure Committee also held a press conference on May 20, stating, “This tragedy was foreseeable. Considering that similar accidents have repeated themselves, more social turmoil could arise.”

“Comprehensive and effective measures need to be both devised and implemented, but companies are more concerned about avoiding punishment," said Jeong Jin-woo, a professor of safety engineering at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. "Large firms only offer quantitative measures, while smaller ones are doing nothing, which renders accident prevention ineffective.”

An SPC Samlip spokesperson said, “We cannot comment as a police investigation is underway,” adding that the company “will fully cooperate with the investigation."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SON SUNG-BAE [[email protected]]