"My Uncle Will Treat You"... Restaurant Providing Free Meals to Food-Insecure Children Gains Attention

Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] A restaurant in Iksan-si, Jeonbuk, is gaining attention for providing free meals to children suffering from food insecurity.

Jung Chong-myeong, president of Bukdo Hall, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 21st and said, "It hasn't been that long since I started this. When I took an interest and looked into it, the issue of food-insecure children seemed quite serious. That's why I decided to start."

Jung revealed that the government’s 'Dream Tree Card' given to food-insecure children has a low daily spending limit, so he decided to provide free meals.

He said, "With 5,000 won a day, what they can eat is limited. For example, a bowl of gukbap (soup with rice) costs around 7,000 to 8,000 won, and kids’ favorites like donkatsu, jjajang, and jjamppong cost over 6,000 won. So with that money, they can only buy instant noodles or snacks at a convenience store or a local snack bar. I wanted to do this kind of volunteer work, and after seeing a broadcast introducing the good influence project started by 'Jinjja Pasta' in Hongdae, I decided to participate," he explained.

He added, "Any food served at the restaurant is available to food-insecure children. Over the past seven months, I roughly counted and only about six to seven groups have come. I think it's because of insufficient promotion and also because the kids are minors and seem to be hesitant," expressing his regret.

Jung also shared an anecdote from providing free meals. He said, "An elderly person who saw our signboard came and asked, 'Although my grandchild is not a food-insecure child, can we eat together?' because they wanted to feed their grandchild a warm meal but couldn’t afford meat. They left very happy after eating," he said.

When asked if he could handle it if many children came, Jung replied, "There’s absolutely no problem until the restaurant goes bankrupt. We came from out of town and have been holding on with my mother, sister, and wife working hard as a family," he answered.

He added, "I’m exhausted from working without days off, but when those kids come, eat deliciously, and remember this, it makes me feel good, so I do it."

Finally, President Jung said to the children, "I think even I would feel self-conscious. So I won’t tell you to come alone. Just come with a friend and act like you’re treating your friend at an uncle’s restaurant you know well. Just give me a subtle sign later, and I’ll cleverly say it’s been taken care of. Eat happily and walk out confidently," he said.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.