Many Seoul office workers are packing homemade or ready-made lunches as restaurant prices rise and health concerns grow. A Seoul worker said lunch outings had become too expensive, with a basic meal and coffee often costing more than 20,000 won. Searches for lunch-related items surged, while prepared lunchbox sales also rose. Official data showed dining-out prices climbed 2.7 percent year-on-year in August.
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An office worker in Seoul surnamed Lee, 43, started packing her own lunches a month ago, as eating out for lunch had become an unsustainable financial burden. A basic lunch paired with an afternoon coffee routinely cost more than 20,000 won ($15), quietly eating into her monthly budget.
“Tracking down quality, low-cost eateries every single day is not easy,” Lee said. “A standard bowl of pork and rice soup that once cost about 8,000 won now costs nearly 15,000 won. On top of the rising cost, I was also getting tired of the heavy, salty food at restaurants.”
Many white-collar workers in Seoul are turning away from restaurants in favor of homemade and ready-made meals. The shift is being driven by two factors: rising restaurant prices and a growing focus on health and wellness.
