{
  "id": 6335067,
  "title": "Soaring dining costs, wellness culture are reshaping lunch in Korea",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/soaring-dining-costs-wellness-culture-are-reshaping-lunch-in-korea-6335067",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-08T22:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260909/soaring-dining-costs-wellness-culture-are-reshaping-lunch-in-korea"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Soaring dining costs, wellness culture are reshaping lunch in Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/soaring-dining-costs-wellness-culture-are-reshaping-lunch-in-korea",
        "published": "2026-09-08T22:02:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}