Prosecution's civic committee convenes to review 'Choco Pie theft' case

Choco Pie / gettyimagesbank

The prosecution on Monday convened a civic committee to review prosecutorial proceedings made in the case of "Choco Pie theft" that has drawn public outcry and questions over the role of law.

In May, a court fined a subcontractor worker 50,000 won ($34.80) for taking a 400 won Choco Pie — a chocolate-covered marshmallow-filled snack — and a 650 won Custard cake from a company refrigerator and eating them without permission last year.

The decision over the seemingly minor incident sparked public outcry and questions over the role of law, with some criticizing the prosecution for taking the case to court.

The Jeonju District Prosecutors Office held a closed-door session of the committee, which consists of about a dozen members from various backgrounds, to review whether the steps it took on the case were appropriate.

The prosecution will take the results of the meeting into consideration in future proceedings.

The meeting takes place days before an appellate trial hearing for the case scheduled for Thursday. Based on the meeting's results, prosecutors may even seek lighter punishment, such as a suspended sentence.

The prosecution launched the civic committee in 2010 to enhance its fairness and transparency.