Follow-up Measures Needed, Including a Full Investigation of Applicant Households
It has come as a shock that milk, which is provided free of charge by schools in Sejong City to students from families facing financial difficulties and struggling to afford daily necessities, is being distributed and sold through online secondhand trading sites. This milk, supplied only to households that apply through educational institutions for the healthy growth of children, can only be received if the family submits an application.
According to an Asia Economy report on July 2, there is only one purpose for applying for this milk: it must be requested on the premise that the child will drink it. If a family applies, they receive one box per month, with each box containing twenty-four 200mL packs. Sales for purposes other than intended use are prohibited, and if the application is made with the intent to sell, experts say this could be considered neglect by willful default. In reality, there may be even more improper transactions than currently known.
The reporting team confirmed that this milk was being sold on online secondhand trading sites for 12,000 won per box, about 5,000 won cheaper than the price for ordinary consumers. Notably, this year, milk requested by parents was not distributed from February, so at the end of June, the five boxes that had not been delivered were distributed all at once. A comparison between the milk distributed by schools and that posted for sale on secondhand trading sites confirmed that they are the same product. The delivery dates for milk sent to households are identical. In apartment complexes, the milk is delivered to the front door, while in single-family homes, it is delivered to the front gate.
Posts offering the milk for sale began appearing on the very day it was distributed, and the sales were completed within minutes. The milk provided by educational institutions for the healthy growth of children was thus being traded on secondhand sites for 12,000 won, without the children ever drinking it.
A social worker active in the local community pointed out, "If someone applies for the milk claiming it is for their child, receives it, and then resells it, or applies with the intention to resell, there is a high likelihood of moral criticism." The social worker added, "To prevent recurrence, it seems necessary to take appropriate follow-up measures, such as a full investigation to confirm whether the milk is actually being given to children in the households that applied."
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