Seongbuk-gu Marks 1st Anniversary of 1,000-Won Breakfast Project with Mayor Lee Seung-ro Visiting Kookmin University for Feedback
Providing Hearty Breakfasts to 129,650 Youths at 6 Universities Including Korea University, Kookmin University, Dongduk Women's University, Seokyeong University, Sookmyung Women's University, and Hansung University in Seongbuk-gu
This Year, a Total of 256 Million KRW Planned for Support (Increase of 111 Million KRW)
Amid soaring prices, with more young people cutting back on food expenses or skipping meals first, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) has marked the first anniversary of the '1,000 Won Breakfast' program, the first of its kind among Seoul's autonomous districts, launched in collaboration with Seoul City and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
To commemorate this, the district visited Kookmin University on the 19th to listen to opinions from university officials and young people. On that day, the '1,000 Won Breakfast' began at 8 a.m. in the Kookmin University student cafeteria and was so popular that it sold out in about 30 minutes. A total of 250 meals were prepared.
Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro and Kookmin University President Jeong Seung-ryeol also visited the site to serve apples and listen to students' feedback on the '1,000 Won Breakfast.'
Students responded enthusiastically, directly thanking the mayor by saying, "Thanks to Seongbuk-gu, we have a hearty breakfast! Thank you!"
The district hosts eight universities and has a youth population accounting for 30% of the total population, implementing various youth projects. The representative initiative is the '1,000 Won Breakfast.'
In the ongoing high-price environment, food expenses are the top spending item that university students cut first, and the rate of skipping breakfast is high. Recognizing the need for a program that allows young people to eat affordable breakfasts and maintain their health, the district became the first autonomous district in Seoul to join the '1,000 Won Breakfast' support project in May 2023, in partnership with Seoul City and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Currently, six universities in the district participate in the '1,000 Won Breakfast' program: Korea University, Kookmin University, Dongduk Women's University, Seokyeong University, Sungshin Women's University, and Hansung University.
In 2023, the program was selected for a second additional project starting in May, with the district allocating a budget of 145 million won. In 2024, operations began from the start of the semester in March, with a total support budget of 256 million won, an increase of 111 million won. This allows for an increase in the number of meals per university, providing more young people with a hearty breakfast. The support method remains the same as the previous year, providing 1,000 won per meal.
Since its launch in May 2023, a total of 129,650 young people from six universities have benefited from the program.
Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro stated, "Despite time constraints and administrative challenges in being the first in Seoul to independently expand and additionally support the existing Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs '1,000 Won Breakfast' program, the cooperation of the six universities allowed us to proceed swiftly and provide a hearty breakfast to 129,650 young people. We will continue to ensure that the program benefits as many young people as possible while minimizing any negative impact on local businesses and avoiding excessive burden on the staff involved in the breakfast program."
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