SPC Group is a South Korean food company based in Seoul that manufactures food, bread and confectionery products. Sangmidang, the precursor of Samlip General Food was founded in 1945, and the group was launched in 2004. SPC Group is one of the oldest brands in the confectionery and bakery industry in Korea. Its catering centers are based in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do. In addition to Samlip General Food and Shany, SPC Group has market-leading franchise brands such as Paris Baguette (Bakery) and BR Korea (Donuts and Ice-cream) as subsidiaries. The company also has SPL, SPC Capital, Samlip GFS and Mildawon, to name a few, as subsidiary companies, further broadening business scope with overseas establishments in the United States, China, Vietnam, and Singapore. "SPC" stands for "Samlip/Shany," "Paris Croissant," and "Companies (including BR Korea and other subsidiaries of today and tomorrow)." History In 1945, Hur Chang-sung started a small confectionery outfit named Sangmidang. In 1959 the business was renamed to Samlip. A couple of years later, Samlip began to produce bread and biscuits. His business was aligned with the government policies. Their first product was a cream filled pastry. Samlip's quality was high for sales in US military camps. In the late 1960s, there were many competitors including Koryo Dang Bakery, Tae Geuk Dang and New York Bakery. In 1972, Hur set up another arm called Shany to specialize in High-end cakes. Eventually, Hur's son, Hur Young-in oversaw Shany's operation and took over Samlip group. Labour-related issues Employment of bakers In September 2017, SPC was found to have illegally dispatched 5,000 bakers who were hired through partner firms by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL). These bakers were instructed directly by SPC Group. Such employment practices usually helped the company involved to reduce hiring costs as they would not need to give these dispatched labor benefits such as paid vacation or health insurance. MOEL directed SPC Group to employ the bakers directly, but , the group has yet to resolve the issue, having not implemented an agreement under which the 5,000 bakers would be employed by a 51-percent-owned subsidiary. Workplace safety On October 15, 2022, a 23-year-old worker died on the floor of a bread factory affiliated with SPC. The worker was caught in an industrial mixer. Public opinions about the group turned soured after allegations that the company put a screen around the mixer involved and expected the other workers to