The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 12th that it will increase the meal support cost for children at risk of hunger from the previous 9,000 won to 9,500 won. This reflects the challenge of children accessing quality meals due to high prices.
As of December last year, there were over 27,000 children at risk of hunger in Seoul. Among them, over 15,000 receive meal support through meal cards (Dream Tree Cards). When children present their meal cards at affiliated restaurants, they receive meals equivalent to the meal support cost. The remaining 12,000 children receive meal support through group meal services or lunch delivery.
There are over 92,000 affiliated restaurants for meal cards, including Korean, Western, Chinese, Japanese cuisine, convenience stores, fast food, and bakeries. Snacks like chips and ice cream can be purchased at two convenience stores (CU and GS25). A Seoul city official noted, "To help children develop healthy eating habits, snacks can only be purchased alongside meals when spending over 4,000 won on meal items."