Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Introduces Nation's First Multifunctional Cooking Robot for School Meals

Expecting Work Efficiency and Industrial Accident Prevention
Improving Working Conditions and Preventing Industrial Accidents for Culinary Workers
Pilot Operation Starts in December for 5 Schools in Gyeonggi-do

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Tae-hee) announced on the 24th that it will once again revolutionize the school kitchen environment. They will specially produce and operate a differentiated ‘Gyeonggi-do Style Cooking Robot’ capable of performing all cooking processes from frying to stir-frying, soups, and stews.

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has specially produced and is operating a differentiated 'Gyeonggi-style cooking robot' capable of performing all cooking processes from frying to stir-frying, soups, and stews. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education is introducing a multifunctional cooking robot to school meal sites in the province for the first time nationwide.

The ‘Gyeonggi-do Style School Meal Cooking Robot,’ aimed at improving the working environment of school meal cooking staff and reducing industrial accidents, began pilot operation in five schools within the province starting in December.

The Gyeonggi-do Style Cooking Robot carries out all processes from preheating the cooking pot, temperature control, to cooking according to pre-input information. Accordingly, cooking staff only need to perform tasks such as inspecting and washing ingredients, cutting, and preparing seasonings.

The Office of Education focused on two key aspects when introducing the cooking robot: ‘coexistence’ and ‘efficiency.’

Without reducing cooking personnel, the newly introduced cooking robot performs high-difficulty and high-risk tasks, creating a human-centered working environment where both can coexist. Additionally, it enhances efficiency as a converged robot capable of performing all cooking processes from frying and stir-frying to soups and stews.

The Gyeonggi-do Style School Meal Cooking Robot was directly produced upon the request of the Office of Education, differentiating it from other provinces and cities, and improving efficiency with various functions. Furthermore, the main unit’s volume was reduced to minimize the space it occupies in the kitchen, and safety devices were installed to protect operators.

Workers in the pilot operation school kitchens expressed satisfaction after using the cooking robot, saying things like, “When cooking porridge, you have to keep stirring, but the robot does it, so labor is reduced,” “The temperature is high when frying, but using the robot lowers the risk,” and “Cleaning is very easy thanks to the washing function.”

The Office of Education plans to support school sites by establishing a ‘School Meal Frying Cooking Support Room’ so that more schools in the province can benefit from cooking robots following this pilot project.

An official from the Office of Education said, “The introduction of the Gyeonggi-do Style Cooking Robot is being promoted in accordance with Superintendent Lim Tae-hee’s pledge to guarantee the health rights of school staff,” adding, “It is expected to solve the problems of high-intensity labor and prolonged exposure to high temperatures for cooking staff and reduce health hazards caused by toxic fumes generated during cooking.”