Incheon City to Launch Free Meal Delivery Service for Children on May 23 and Recruit Donation Restaurants

Free Meal Delivery in Partnership with Shinhan Bank and ChildFund Korea
Recruiting "Onbap" Partner Restaurants, Incheon's Donation-Based Eateries

Incheon City is partnering with private organizations to launch a free meal delivery service for underprivileged children and to discover restaurants willing to donate meals.

First, starting on May 23, the city will begin offering a free meal delivery service for children using a delivery app. Last month, the city signed a business agreement with Shinhan Bank and ChildFund Korea to deliver meals to children in need. Following this, the city completed the development of the user system and the process for children who use meal cards (those aged 14 or older who possess a mobile phone in their own name) to apply for delivery fees, and is now officially launching the project.

Children using meal cards can select a restaurant and menu registered on the "Ddanggyeyo" delivery app and use the delivery service up to four times a month within their meal allowance. The daily meal allowance per person is 5,000 won for one or two meals, and 30,000 won for three meals. The introduction of the meal card delivery service is a form of contactless payment service most desired by card users, and is expected to significantly increase satisfaction among children using the cards.

As of the end of last month, there were 5,605 Incheon child meal partner restaurants registered on the "Ddanggyeyo" app. The number of meal card users aged 14 or older who can use the delivery service is 4,949, which accounts for about 66% of all card-using children (7,553 in total).

While Seoul and Gyeonggi Province also offer free meal delivery services for children, Incheon City is the first in the country to launch such a project using only private sector sponsorship, without any municipal budget input.

The city is also recruiting "Onbap" partner restaurants, a type of Incheon-style donation restaurant that provides affordable meals to children in need. Onbap partner restaurants offer discounted meal prices in line with the meal card support rate (9,500 won per meal). The city plans to process the difference between the menu price and the meal support rate as a donation receipt.

Partner restaurants will receive incentives such as an Incheon Onbap plaque and recommendations for awards recognizing contributions to child meal support programs. Business owners in related industries can apply to become partners through their local administrative welfare centers. Children using meal cards can receive meal vouchers for partner restaurants through the "Nabiyam" app. The city plans to begin offering this service in July.

Initially, the city will pilot 300 partner restaurants, focusing on "Good Influence Stores" (voluntary donor restaurants providing free meals to meal card children) and "Good Price Stores" (price stabilization model restaurants designated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local districts/counties). The city plans to continue expanding the number of partner restaurants through the end of the year.

An Incheon City official stated, "Due to insufficient meal support rates and limitations in the delivery method, many children have not been able to receive adequate nutrition. Through the meal delivery service and the operation of Onbap partner restaurants, we aim to resolve these chronic issues and work together with private organizations to provide children with a warm meal."