“Message Your Boss Before Your Parents if Plane Crashes” Cafe Owner’s Absurd Remark to Part-Timer Sparks Outrage

Amid the tragic crash of Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok to Jeju on the morning of Dec 29th, which claimed 179 lives, a franchise cafe owner’s comment regarding this tragedy has drawn intense public backlash.

That afternoon, a user on X (formerly Twitter), identified as A, shared a screenshot of a KakaoTalk message from the cafe owner, writing, “Let’s boycott ○○ at Daegu Department Store. Is this how you talk to a part-timer? Aren’t you ashamed as an adult? My faith in humanity is gone.”

In the message, the owner remarked “Think about these things and only apply if you can handle it”, referring to recruiting part-timers.

The owner continued, “You saw the plane crash today, right? Some of you are planning to travel overseas during the break. If a crash happens, send me a KakaoTalk message saying ‘Hire a replacement’ before contacting your mom or dad. Make sure there’s no absence.”

A, who claimed to have previously worked at the cafe, revealed, “Physical contact was routine, and the owner referred to the part-timers as pigs and dogs. Three months in, they said ‘I spoke harshly on purpose. You’ve passed the test if you endured it’ and tried to brush it off. I endured for six months and quit, but they’re still the same.” A urged, “Since the cafe on the 4th floor is their privately owned store and they treasure it, we should boycott that location.”

The incident has sparked outrage online, with comments like, “They’re paying barely anything, yet they think they can act like this”, “That owner probably thought this was funny“, “Are you even human?”, “This tragedy isn’t something to joke about—it’s a moment for mourning, not casual comments”, “How can anyone trust drinks sold by such an unhinged owner?”, “The boss’s mind seems to have ‘crashed’”, “How is this person even making money? If the boss faces death, I hope they message the part-timers first, so they don’t show up unnecessarily”…

Some netizens have filed complaints with the cafe’s headquarters and reported the incident to the “Voice of the Customer” at the department store where the cafe is located. Simultaneously, a wave of one-star reviews has flooded the cafe’s KakaoMap page.