Soaring dining costs, wellness culture are reshaping lunch in Korea
An office worker in Seoul surnamed Lee, 43, started packing her own lunches a month ago, as eating out for lunch had become an unsustainable financial burden. A basic lunch paired with an afternoon coffee routinely cost more than 20,000 won ($15), quietly eating into her monthly budget. “Tracking down quality, low-cost eateries every single day is not easy,” Lee said. “A standard bowl of pork and…
Seoul office worker Lee, 43, has begun preparing her own lunches after eating out became financially unsustainable. A typical lunch and coffee combo now costs over 20,000 won ($15), straining her budget. Lee expressed frustration with the difficulty of finding affordable, high-quality options daily. Restaurants have also lost their appeal due to the rising cost and the unappealing nature of the food.
The trend is driven by two factors: increasing restaurant prices and a heightened emphasis on health and wellness. Searches for insulated cooler bags have surged 656% year-over-year in August, indicating a growing demand for lunch boxes. Searches for lunchbox cutlery sets and thermal lunchboxes have also increased, reflecting the shift towards preparing and bringing meals to work.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Soaring dining costs, wellness culture are reshaping lunch in Korea koreatimes.co.kr
