During this week of field observations one thing that has stood out is an impressive commitment to providing fresh, nutritious school lunches to South Korean students. Principles at the middle and elementary level have made it a point to note the importance of these meals to the bodies and minds of their students. They take great pride in the results. In the kitchens we have visited I have observed kitchen staff working diligently to cook up high quality meals. The province we are visiting in the northeastern part of the country is called Gangwon-Do. It has several rural areas and produce is locally sourced as much as possible. I saw the staff preparing chicken, beans, and kimchi from scratch. I have yet to see any processed foods. Buildings have dedicated food seonsaengnim (teachers) who carefully prepare weekly diet plans with the help of their kitchen staff. In at least some of the schools, students are allowed to eat as much as they please.
Provinces across the country have decided to make it a priority to provide lunches free of charge to all students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The investment in these programs is considerable. The cost of providing lunch to the 1348 private and public schools in the city of Seoul cost $660 million USD in 2021 alone. While I do not have concrete figures, it seems the cost per lunch is comparable to those in American schools (around $3.50). The model of providing nutritious, fresh, and affordable meals to students across the country is something that states and districts in the U.S. may want to take a hard look at. The South Korean model shows it is quite possible.
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