KOREA FOUNDATION

Workers Packing Midday Meal to Beat ‘Lunch-flation’

The word “lunch-flation,” a neologism combining the words “lunch” and “inflation,” is rising as a global trend given the swelling cost of the midday meal for workers amid severe inflation. A Statistics Korea report on December 30, 2022, said that the consumer price index in November 2022 rose 5% from the same month in 2021 and the cost of dining out grew 8.6%.

Thus, more office workers and college students are packing homemade lunches while others are opting to eat simple meals from convenience stores like samgak gimbap (triangular rice roll), lunchbox, cup ramyeon (instant noodles), and sandwiches.

With growing demand for cheaper lunchboxes at convenience stores, discount coupons for them for a monthly fee are also rising in popularity. The more a customer uses “subion coupons” bought every month at lower cost, the greater the discount. These coupons seem to be most popular among those in their 20s and 30s.

For office workers who do not want to eat out, pack a lunch, or go to a convenience store, a lunch subion service delivers meals daily at prices lower than that of eating out. This service is part of a rapidly growing sector fueled by lunch-flation, which is changing the “lunch-scape” of the midday meal for workers.

Lunch-flationWorkersMidday Mealconvenience storelunch subion service