Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

-Subcommittee on Improving Soldiers’ Living Conditions under Public, Private, and Military Joint Committee
-Bread and rice types diversified and self-cooking corners introduced
-Salad bar added to the current hamburger-style brunch
-Proposal to raise the basic meal expense to KRW 11,000 won

The hamburger-style brunch menu for soldiers is expected to be replaced with a more trendy menu featuring options such as Asian food with salad. In particular, for buffet-type convenience meals (Western and Korean food), which the MND is considering offering on weekends and holidays, the MND will promote a plan that  diversifies the types of bread and rice and provides ‘special meals for soldiers to choose from’ with self-cooking corners.

On August 9, the MND announced that these issues were discussed at the 4th meeting of the Subcommittee on Improving Soldiers’ Living Conditions under Public, Private, and Military Joint Committee.

The committee members intensively discussed ways to improve the provision of special meals, such as brunch, and an appropriate basic meal cost for soldiers in 2022 taking the increase in food ingredient prices into account, so that the soldiers can be provided with sufficient nutrition.

Ham Seon-ok, professor of food and nutrition at Yonsei University and an expert in the field of military catering, commented, “The hamburger-style brunch menu that is currently offered to the soldiers is too simple and stimulative. Soldiers are too hungry to wait for dinner.” He added, “This kind of menu composition is the result of the rigid 'military procurement system,’ which is focused on suppliers who have to use a specific amount of hamburger buns that has been set on an annual basis,” she added.

Ms. Ham also said, “The planned ‘buffet-type convenience meals (Western and Korean food),’ which the MND is considering providing on weekends and holidays to the selected pilot units, may have the positive effect of reducing the work of food handlers, but the menu is too simple and the portions may be insufficient. It is also appropriate to use ‘special meals for soldiers to choose from’ as its name.”

As for the measures to compensate for this limitation, she pointed out, “It is necessary to make the brunch menu a trendy ‘a la carte’ style such as Asian food considering the health and preferences of the soldiers, and further to make it a more balanced diet through the use of a simple salad bar.” She also stated, “When serving hamburgers, it is important to make it a more satisfying meal for the soldiers by providing them with fried rice. For the special meals, the types of bread and rice must be varied and the types of diets expanded by providing a bowl of soup,” she emphasized.

“We can reduce costs and burdens arising from the need for cooking by operating a ‘self-cooking corner’ where soldiers can cook themselves, and by expanding the use of pre-processed ingredients such as large-capacity concentrated seaweed soup and Soy Sauce Braised Quail Eggs instead of high-priced cup rice or simple soup, and product sources such as soft tofu stew seasoning,” she added.

Ryu Gyeong, a professor of food and nutrition at Yeungnam University and an expert in the field of food and nutrition, suggested that it would be reasonable to set the basic meal expenses for soldiers next year at KRW 11,000 won.

According to the results of a policy study conducted by the Korean Dietetic Association last year at the request of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), the basic meal cost for soldiers in 2021 was KRW 10,500 won, which is based on the premise that a solider should be provided with 3,000 kcal of nutrition per day. The result was generated by reflecting the preferences of soldiers, such as the preference for meat, the goal of balanced nutrition through the use of healthy ingredients such as vegetables and fruits, and the expansion of semi-processed products to alleviate the burden on food handlers.

Mr. Ryu explained, “Given that procurement of agricultural, fishery, and livestock products accounts for 74% of the military’s meal expenses, it is necessary to reflect the recently skyrocketing prices of such products in the meal cost, and so it is reasonable to set the basic meal cost for soldiers at KRW 11,000 won.”

Mr. Ryu also suggested, “‘Establishing procurement systems for ingredients after organizing diets in consideration of soldiers’ preferences and health,’ which was presented as the basic direction to improve the military catering system, can be achieved only when supported by an appropriate level of funding. The MND actively consults with the financial authorities so that they can reflect the budget (draft) for the meal expenses.”

“We will actively consult with the financial authorities so that KRW 11,000 won can be adopted as the basic meal cost for soldiers for next year,” said Lee Bok-gyun, a logistics manager of the Ministry of National Defense (MND). “For the provision of special meals for soldiers to choose from, we will run a pilot project by selecting a relatively small unit considering the unit price for each meal and the availability of cooking equipment, analyze the advantages and disadvantages, and come up with a plan to gradually expand it,” he added.

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr >

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