A fried chicken restaurant in South Korea has gone viral after discovering that a delivery worker secretly ate part of a customer’s order before delivering it, an act that sparked outrage on social media.
The incident began when a customer complained about the fried chicken “It looked like someone had already eaten it.” After reviewing security footage, the restaurant noticed a stark difference between the freshly packaged meal and the one shown in the customer’s photo.
Before delivery, the chicken and sauce had been carefully separated. But when the order arrived, everything was mixed together, resembling leftover food. Realizing that something had gone wrong during the delivery, the restaurant contacted the food delivery platform only to be told “Compensation could not be provided without direct evidence that the delivery man ate it.”
“These delivery workers get free food by stealing bites, save money and still get paid. It’s a win for them,” the restaurant owner told Korea JoongAng Daily, adding that he even sent an acquaintance to follow the suspected delivery lady.
According to the witness, the same deliveryman was then caught repeating the act with another customer’s order. The footage showed her wearing sanitary gloves and using chopsticks to eat from a malatang (Chinese-style spicy hot pot) before resealing the bag.
When questioned, the woman initially denied any wrongdoing, stating: “The customer canceled the order, so I just ate it.”
However, after being caught several times and interrogated by the police, she eventually confessed, saying she had done so due to “financial difficulties”.
The restaurant owner rejected the excuse: “We all struggle to make a living. The thought of customers eating tampered food is disgusting. The fact that he peeled off and reattached the tape so precisely proves it wasn’t the first time.”
After reporting the incident to the police, the restaurateur shared his experience on social media with the post titled “A new method for stealing food during childbirth.”
The post quickly went viral, attracting thousands of comments from angry netizens:
- “It’s so unhygienic, how can anyone trust food delivered to their homes again?”
- “If you’re in trouble, ask for help. Don’t steal from customers.”
- “Delivery apps need to strengthen their screening process.”
Many in the delivery community have also joined the discussion, expressing concern that such behavior could damage the industry’s reputation.
While this incident shocked the public, it also highlighted a growing problem in South Korea’s booming delivery industry, where long hours, low pay and limited supervision can lead to ethical lapses.
While the investigation continues, the delivery company involved has not yet released an official statement.
Sources: Znews
