A large number of students have a lack of money and time to have breakfast before their classes start in the early morning, and there are few places to have breakfast at a cheap price. For those students, the University of Seoul (UOS) has started a new program called the “1,000 won breakfast program.” It was started on April 3rd and will continue until November 30th. 
 

The program allows students to have breakfast on weekdays during the semester for merely 1,000 won (about 0.75$). It runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and takes place at the cafeteria in the Student Hall. To have breakfast, students must buy a meal ticket, which is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The meal tickets must be used on the day of issue, and only 100 students can buy breakfast tickets in a day. The breakfast is served in a way identical to that of school cafeterias; students serve themselves and eat as much as they want. The menu is different every day and usually consists of rice and side dishes. 

The 1,000 won breakfast program is being run by the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, an organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The purpose is to promote the habit of having breakfast and rice consumption among university students. 
 

According to the Korea Health Statistics 2021, many students skip breakfast. The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reveals that about 31.7 percent of Koreans skip breakfast, of which those aged between 19 and 29 form the majority. It emphasizes the numerous university students in Korea who skip breakfast and the need for programs such as the 1,000 won breakfast. Skipping breakfast can lead to hypoglycemia, and students become easily tired and lethargic, which bother them from concentrating on studies. Therefore, the 1,000 won breakfast program encourages students to eat before the day starts. 
 

As students in UOS pay only 1,000 won for a meal, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the UOS Development Fund subsidize rest of the amount. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs pays 1,000 won, and the UOS Development Fund pays 1,500 won per meal to ease the burden on students’ food expenses. The UOS Development Fund, a donation-run organization designed to support student life in university, is planning to provide further assistance to the program and help more students have breakfast through continuous fundraising. 

Regarding the 1,000 won breakfast program, two students shared their opinions and experiences. Yoon Hyun-sik (Dept. of Social Welfare ’19), and Azadeh Zamani (Dept. of Korean Language and Literature ’21) shared the following. 

“I had the 1,000 won breakfast when I was up all night studying for the exam, and it was really good. It was so attractive that students could have a high-quality meal in the morning for only 1,000 won. However, I think it would be better to open the kiosk at 8 a.m. as a lot of students have to wait until 8:30 a.m., which is the current opening time. I think this will help to cut the waiting line and reduce the tiredness that students can feel.”

“When I heard about the 1,000 won breakfast, I really wanted to try it, so after waiting for 20 minutes in the line I finally got to try it! The first thing that came to my mind was that the quantity of food I got for 1,000 won was a lot! The taste was also really good, just like the lunch and dinner menu at the cafeteria. I thought it was so worth waking up early and getting breakfast before the class for only 1,000 won! Normally, I skip breakfast, but with this cheap and filling breakfast, I think I will start my day in a good condition!”
 

Although the 1,000 won breakfast program is highly advantageous to students, some improvements are in order. First, it is desirable to raise the low quota limit of this program. Some students have experienced being cut off right in their front, even though they had waited in line for a long time. Currently, the capacity of other universities is larger than that of UOS, and Korea University has even removed the constraint on the number of students. 

Moreover, many students have demanded the opening time to be advanced so that the waiting line can be reduced. Nevertheless, the 1,000 won breakfast program helps a lot of students in UOS to have their breakfast and start their day energized. It is highly recommended to have breakfast and start a day with excitement using the opportunity that UOS offers. 
 

Lee Seung-hyun
nicole3212@uos.ac.kr