Students line up to eat breakfast sold at 1,000 won ($0.77) at an university in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 24 (Korea Bizwire) — With inflation running rampant, the value of 1,000 won (US$0.77) has plummeted.
In some places, however, 1,000 won is enough for a warm meal, a taxi trip across the countryside, and a ticket for a romantic concert.
This month, students were seen lining up in front of university cafeterias across the country, ready to get breakfast for just 1,000 won.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion & Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries began a 1,000-won breakfast giveaway project in collaboration with 41 universities across the country.
With a spike in food expenses in recent months, more college students have signed up for the project, and the government opened its coffers to accommodate up to 680,000 students.
1,000-won compassion is going beyond school cafeterias to various sectors of society.
The Seo Ward in the southwestern city of Gwangju opened a new restaurant in Yangdong Market on March 9.
Residents over 50 years of age, and any guest with a receipt of goods purchased at the market on the same day are eligible for a 1,000-won noodle soup every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Since 2019, the cities of Yeongcheon and Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province have been operating a 1,000-won cab service for residents in the countryside with limited access to public transportation.
1,000 won is also enough to watch various cultural events.
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts plans to increase the number of the “Happy 1,000-won” concerts to accommodate up to 22,000 spectators, an increase of 10,000 from the previous year.
The concerts, which began in 2007, cost only 1,000 won, and consist of art and music performances of various genres that have been viewed by more than 360,000 people.
Some of the concert tickets will be allocated exclusively to children, seniors, and other vulnerable groups with limited access to cultural and social activities.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
