[Cheongchun Report] 240,000 Won a Month Just for Lunch... Office Workers Say "I'll Just Eat Salad Alone"

Office Workers Struggling with 'Lunchflation'
Seoul Metropolitan Area Workers Spend 11,000 Won on One Lunch
High Prices Lead to Relying on Convenience Meals

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# Kim Eun-jung (29), who works in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, started frequenting convenience stores from early this year due to soaring prices. The number of menu items exceeding 10,000 won has increased, raising the burden of meal expenses. Kim said, "If I eat lunch with my team members outside and then go to a cafe, it costs at least 15,000 won," adding, "I tried to bring a lunchbox because lunch costs were burdensome, but preparing it every day was tough, so I often eat convenience store lunchboxes." She added, "I eat the lunchbox quickly and spend the remaining lunch break walking or enjoying personal time."

As prices continue to soar day by day, the lunch cost burden on office workers is increasing, leading to the spread of the 'Snacking' culture in some circles. 'Snacking' refers to quickly eating simple meals like snacks. For example, replacing rice with convenience store sandwiches or salads to get by. Office workers lightly replace meals with convenience foods and then immerse themselves in self-development or hobbies during the remaining time.

Office Workers with Thinner Wallets... Lunch Costs Reach 240,000 Won per Month

Office workers are carrying packed lunches while moving in Myeongdong, Seoul.

With soaring dining-out prices, the lunch cost burden on office workers is increasing. According to an analysis by KB Kookmin Card of big data on personal credit and debit card sales from January to May in five Seoul business districts?Gwanghwamun, Gangnam, Yeouido, Guro, and Pangyo?the average monthly amount spent by office workers during lunch hours was 239,000 won. They made an average of 21 transactions per month, spending about 11,000 won per day. The average monthly spending per person increased by 17% compared to the same period four years ago, and the amount per transaction also rose by 13%.

As lunch prices exceeded 10,000 won, more office workers have turned to convenience stores to save on meal expenses. The amount spent at convenience stores during lunch hours in major business districts increased by 20%. The number of transactions per person rose from 5 to 5.4 times per month, and the amount per transaction increased by about 11%.

Yang (27), who works at a small or medium-sized company, said, "The meal allowance provided by the company is 8,000 won per meal, but with current prices, it is far from sufficient," adding, "Unless it's a snack bar or similar, you have to pay extra." He also lamented, "Prices at restaurants near the company have all gone up within a year."

Following last year, the 'Lunchflation' phenomenon continues this year, and a considerable number of office workers are skipping lunch altogether.

In April, Embrain Trend Monitor conducted a survey on lunch-related perceptions among 1,000 office workers aged 19 to 59 nationwide. The results showed that 3 out of 10 (32.6%) office workers skip lunch entirely, and 4 out of 10 (43.5%) substitute it with simple meals like sandwiches or gimbap.

Using Lunch Breaks for Exercise or Reading

[Image source=Pixabay]

Among them, some office workers save money by having a simple lunch alone and also devote time to self-development even during short breaks. In the past, lunch breaks were used to build camaraderie with colleagues, but now the trend has solidified to use this time as a genuine rest period for oneself.

Office workers mainly use lunch breaks to exercise or read books. In fact, searching Instagram with hashtags like 'lunch workout' or 'lunch health' yields hundreds of posts. One user posted a photo of themselves exercising, saying, "The gym in front of the company is crowded even during lunch hours," adding, "I need to keep it up to build stamina."

However, some still view solo lunchers ('honbapjok') unfavorably. Park (29), an office worker who eats salad alone to prepare for a body profile shoot, said, "I always eat salad for lunch to manage my diet, but my boss asked, 'Why don't you eat with us?' or 'Do you have complaints about the department?' so I had no choice but to eat together," adding, "Lunch break is a legitimate rest time, and I want to be free without feeling pressured."