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A Banollim Pizza franchisee has come under fire after allegations emerged that the owner repeatedly made demeaning remarks about the family background of a minor part-time worker from a single-parent household. The chain's headquarters apologized and said it has launched an internal investigation.
In an official statement issued Tuesday, Banollim Pizza's corporate office said it had become aware that a minor part-time employee at one of its franchise locations had been subjected to inappropriate remarks during the course of work. "We express our deep regret that the student, who was just beginning her first experience in the workforce, and her guardian have suffered greatly," the company said.
"The headquarters takes this matter extremely seriously," the statement continued. The company added that it "sincerely apologizes to the student and guardian who were hurt by this incident."
The company said it would handle the investigation carefully to prevent any additional burden or secondary harm to the student. It also said it had instructed the franchisee not to engage in conduct that could cause further harm — including directly contacting the victim's family, requesting the removal of social media posts, or attempting to influence employee testimony.
The company said it plans to use the incident as an opportunity to review worker protection standards and youth labor management practices across all its franchise locations. It will also examine whether the franchisee violated operating guidelines and take appropriate action based on the investigation's findings.
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The controversy began after a post appeared on the social media platform Threads alleging that the author's daughter had been subjected to repeated verbal abuse by the owner of a Banollim Pizza franchise in Incheon.
The man, identified only as A, said he is raising his children alone. He said his daughter told him the owner would say things like, "Is it because of your family situation that you keep making mistakes?" every time she made an error at work. "Those are words that break my heart just hearing them," A said. "Apparently it was routine — whenever she made a mistake, the owner would step just close enough to be heard and curse at her."
A said he raised his children with love despite being a single parent, and expressed anguish over his daughter's distress. "I need to ask her what happened to protect her, but every time I do, she cries. She just keeps crying," he said.
"As her father, I can only watch my wounded child," he added. "I'm angry, but I don't know what I can do right now. It all feels like my fault, and I'm just sorry to her."
According to A, his daughter told him the experience had left her shaken: "I don't know how I'm supposed to work anymore, and I've become afraid of being out in the world," she said. "Just smiling and letting it go was the best I could do."
yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com
