"Beijing Olympics, Athletes Avoid Village Cafeteria After First Day"… What About Taeguk Warriors' Meals?

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has set up a meal support center in Beijing, China, to provide lunch boxes for the Korean athletes.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Athletes participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are complaining about the poor quality of food provided at the athletes' village cafeteria.

On the 5th, Yonhap News reported that the quality of food at the buffet-style athletes' village cafeteria used by athletes competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics is not very good. In particular, most of the food is greasy and does not suit Korean tastes, making it difficult for athletes to have proper meals at the athletes' village cafeteria.

Jung Jaewon (Uijeongbu City Hall), a member of the men's speed skating team, after finishing official training at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval, responded to questions about meal issues by saying, "It is very different compared to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics." Jung added, "The food at the athletes' village cafeteria is not very tasty," and "I have not gone back since visiting the cafeteria on the evening of the day I arrived in Beijing."

Also, Kim Boreum (Gangwon Provincial Office) of the women's speed skating team lamented, "Looking at the menu made me want to go home." Additionally, an official from the short track team stated, "There is almost no edible food," and "Since the Olympics are held in China, a country known for its cuisine, we had high expectations, but the food quality is the worst among all the Olympic Games I have attended so far."

However, the Korean delegation can have their meals with lunch boxes provided by the meal support center supported by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. The committee currently operates a meal support center at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Sun Palace Hotel, about 15 minutes away from the Beijing athletes' village, delivering Korean lunch boxes to athletes.

The committee stated that it operates meal support centers locally at every Olympic Games to help athletes perform at their best. The committee explained, "We have dispatched 14 staff, including nutritionists and cooking personnel from the Jincheon National Training Center, to deliver Korean lunch boxes to the Beijing athletes' village from the 4th to the 17th."