Dongjak-gu Launches Korea's First Dongjak-style Lunchbox... 'Nutritious Dinner for Kids'

Last Year, 3 Local Daycare Centers Participated in Pilot Project; This Year Expanded to 30 Daycare Centers and High Schools -

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) is set to fully launch the nation’s first “Dongjak-style Dinner Lunchbox Support Project” to address nutritional gaps among children and reduce the burden on parents.

The initiative aims to support children in having balanced meals on time to promote healthy growth and to alleviate the childcare burden on parents who have to prepare dinner after work.

Last year, as a pilot, dinner lunchboxes were provided to children at three daycare centers upon dismissal, and this year the target scope will expand to about 30 daycare centers and high schools.

First, the “High School Dinner Lunchbox Support Project” will provide a balanced and quality meal to students who spend late evenings outside due to academic reasons.

Since it is difficult to operate dinner meals within schools, many students often have dinner at nearby convenience stores. The project aims to support delicious dinners for all high school students attending schools in Dongjak-gu.

A demand survey will be conducted with schools by the 22nd of this month to identify participation and the number of students, followed by signing business agreements with each interested school. The full-scale operation of the Dongjak-style dinner lunchbox will begin in May.

In collaboration with Korea Dongjak Corporation, dinners made with fresh ingredients such as organic produce, based on nutrition experts’ customized menus for examinees, will be prepared and delivered to each school. Afterwards, schools will distribute the lunchboxes to students and provide meal guidance.

The cost per lunchbox is 9,000 KRW, with the district supporting 5,000 KRW and parents covering 4,000 KRW.

Additionally, to mark the start of the school term, the district has also launched a project this month to provide dinner for children in extended daycare who leave after 7:30 PM.

By providing about 370 lunchboxes to 3- to 5-year-old children at around 30 local daycare centers, the project has received great support from parents who can entrust their children with greater peace of mind.

Going forward, the district plans to expand the project so that local children can enjoy nutritious meals and implement multifaceted support policies to create a city that is good for raising children.

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, “We will provide quality lunchboxes for children, the future leaders of our society, to create an educational environment where both children and parents can feel secure,” adding, “We will continue to provide generous support so that children and adolescents can grow up in a healthy and stable environment.”