Even with remote classes, no one will go hungry... Convenience store 100,000 won voucher provided

Remote Classes for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students Available from the 20th
Parents Can Apply to Receive 100,000 Won in ZeroPay Points
Purchases Allowed for Lunchboxes, Fruits, Milk, Sandwiches, Salads, Gimbap, etc.
Carbonated, Caffeinated Drinks and Instant Foods Not Allowed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Seoul elementary, middle, and high school students attending remote classes will receive a Hope Meal Voucher worth 100,000 KRW to purchase lunch boxes and other items at convenience stores.

On the 10th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that, starting from the 20th, it will provide Hope Meal Vouchers to 560,000 students attending remote classes in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, local districts, and the Korea Convenience Store Industry Association.

Zero Pay points worth 100,000 KRW will be provided to students aged 14 and older or to their parents' mobile phones. Students who attend school daily such as 1st and 2nd graders in elementary school, 3rd-year high school students, students at special schools, those participating in emergency care, and those already receiving low-income meal card support are excluded. The voucher usage period is until July 16.

Since the school opening in March, a 'Flexible Hope Meal' program was initiated for students attending remote classes, but 643 out of 1,349 schools in Seoul have been unable to support it. Therefore, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education decided to provide vouchers so that children attending remote classes can have meals at nearby convenience stores.

A Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education official explained, "Flexible Hope Meal is decided by consensus among school members, but many places cannot proceed due to lack of facilities and support personnel, so vouchers were introduced to reduce blind spots. There was a limitation in general restaurants where calorie or item restrictions were difficult."

The vouchers can be used at major convenience stores in Seoul such as GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, and Emart24. However, there are restrictions on purchase items. Allowed items include lunch boxes, seasonal fruits (no frozen), white milk, soy milk, vegetable sandwiches, fruit and vegetable juices, salads, spoonable yogurt, smoked eggs, and gimbap (excluding triangular gimbap). For lunch boxes, only items with sodium content within 1,067 mg can be purchased.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, after review by the School Meal Advisory Committee, has prohibited the purchase of instant foods and caffeinated or carbonated beverages that do not meet nutritional standards. Restricted items cannot be purchased with the voucher at the checkout.

When parents apply to the school, the school determines eligibility and issues the voucher. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to support about 56 billion KRW for 560,000 students using the existing free meal budget. The Zero Pay point fee (0.66%) will be borne by the education office. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will also organize a Hope Meal Voucher monitoring team to conduct usage pattern and satisfaction surveys.

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