The Democratic Party's Salary Defense Corps proposed the 'Office Workers' Meal Expense Realization Act' on the 26th to increase the meal allowance for office workers from 200,000 won to 300,000 won.
Representative Lim Kwang-hyun, the secretary of the Salary Defense Corps, noted at the 'Office Workers' Meal Expense Realization Act Promotion Policy Agreement Ceremony' held in the National Assembly that "Due to high prices, more office workers are turning to convenience store lunch boxes instead of eating out." He argued that "We need to raise the meal allowances for office workers to 300,000 won to enhance corporations' productivity and stimulate domestic demand."
The Office Workers' Meal Expense Realization Act is a law aimed at raising the tax exemption limit for office workers' meal expenses from the current 200,000 won to 300,000 won to address "lunchflation".
The tax exemption limit for office workers' meal expenses, which was 100,000 won in 2004, was raised to 200,000 won in 2022. However, as price increases continue, the Democratic Party argues that the exemption limit should be increased to 300,000 won to reduce the burden on earned income earners.
The Democratic Party cited the 'rise in restaurant prices' as evidence. According to the Statistics Korea Consumer Price Index trends, the restaurant consumer price index in January this year was 122.89, an increase of 3.4 percentage points from the same month last year (119.47). Looking year-on-year, the restaurant consumer price index rose in 2023 (117.4) and 2024 (121).
Moreover, according to the Consumer Agency, looking at the prices of dining out items, in January this year, the price of samgyetang in Seoul was in the 17,000 won range, while the prices of naengmyeon and bibimbap were recorded at 12,000 won and 11,000 won, respectively.
Floor leader Park Chan-dae stated, "The price of the naengmyeon restaurant favored by office workers in Yeouido also rose to the mid-10,000 won range over the past year." He added, "Considering what is a reasonable meal expense for a balanced meal, I believe that around 300,000 won is the appropriate level for the tax-exempt meal expense. I will work diligently for the bill's passage."