Duksung Women's University Offers Breakfast for 1,000 Won During Final Exams
Pusan National University Provides Free Breakfast During Exam Periods
Number of Universities Participating in "Thousand Won Breakfast" Rises to 200
Major universities are supporting healthy eating habits among students during final exam periods through the "Thousand Won Breakfast" initiative.
Duksung Women's University is providing "Thousand Won Breakfast" from the 3rd to the 18th ahead of the final exam period for the second semester of the 2025 academic year. Duksung Women's University
Duksung Women's University Offers Thousand Won Breakfast During Final Exams
According to Duksung Women's University on December 5, the university began offering the Thousand Won Breakfast program from December 3 ahead of the final exam period for the second semester of the 2025 academic year. Enrolled students can enjoy affordable breakfast on the second floor of the Student Union cafeteria from 8 to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for a total of eight days, until December 18. The Thousand Won Breakfast initiative is a program supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, local governments, and universities, allowing students to have breakfast for just 1,000 won.
At Duksung Women's University, a total of 1,000 students can participate, with up to 125 students per day receiving breakfast on a first-come, first-served basis. Of the 5,000 won meal cost, 4,000 won is subsidized by the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The Thousand Won Breakfast program has been in place at Duksung Women's University since 2023 and is implemented after nutritional review and preference surveys by the Department of Food and Nutrition.
Duksung Women's University plans to continue the Thousand Won Breakfast initiative. Kim Jongil, Acting President of Duksung Women's University, stated, "The government, local governments, and the university are all paying close attention to preventing students from skipping meals, and Duksung Women's University is committed to participating in this effort by continuing the program. We hope that even a small but warm meal helps students start their day with energy."
Pusan National University Provides Free Breakfast During Exam Periods
Some universities have made breakfast free during exam periods. Pusan National University has allowed enrolled students to have free breakfast three times during the midterm and final exam periods of the second semester of the 2025 academic year. The free breakfast, which is a special meal valued at around 7,000 won-more expensive than the usual 4,000 won meal-has received a very positive response from students.
Pusan National University first implemented the free breakfast program during the exam period of the first semester of the 2025 academic year, from June 16 to 20. Normally, students pay 1,000 won for breakfast, but a 20 million won donation from an alumni couple covered this cost for students. The alumni couple said, "We hope our juniors can maintain their health with a hearty breakfast during this important period for their studies. We want to contribute, even in a small way, by donating to the development fund every year."
Outside of exam periods, the Thousand Won Breakfast is available throughout the semester. With support from the Busan Metropolitan Government and the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Pusan National University enables students to have breakfast for 1,000 won during the semester. Choi Jaewon, President of Pusan National University, said, "The warm generosity shown by the anonymous alumni couple has been a great source of strength for our students. We will operate the program with care in line with the donors' wishes and continue to work so that more students can benefit."
From June 16 to 20, Pusan National University provided free breakfast to enrolled students during the exam period. Pusan National University
Thousand Won Breakfast Initiative Expands Nationwide
The Thousand Won Breakfast program, which supports students' morning meals, is expanding to universities across the country. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the number of participating universities increased from 186 last year to 200 this year. Seventeen universities, including Hanyang University and Woosuk University, joined the program for the first time this year. By region, three universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, two in Jeolla Province, and nine in Gyeongsang Province newly joined the initiative.
Ten universities, including Seoul National University and Chungnam National University, are continuing the Thousand Won Breakfast program even during vacation periods. Previously, the program was only available during semesters, but it now continues during vacations to support students living in dormitories. To facilitate this, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs increased the government subsidy per student from 1,000 won to 2,000 won last year, aiming to further prevent students from skipping meals.
The Ministry plans to increase the number of subsidized student breakfasts next year by 900,000 to a total of 5.4 million. Applications for participation in next year's Thousand Won Breakfast program are being accepted from universities nationwide until December 9. After the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reviews the applications, the participating universities will be selected within this month. Selected universities will receive funding starting in January next year.
Byun Sangmun, Director of Food Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We will significantly expand the scale of the Thousand Won Breakfast program to support healthy eating habits among young people in need of dietary care during this era of high prices, and we will also actively promote rice consumption."
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