"This Kind of Meal, They Won't Eat Even If Given"... Lunchboxes That Made Sanbul Disaster Victims Cry Twice

Complaints About Lunchboxes in Gangneung Wildfire Evacuees' Chatroom
Many Elderly Face Difficulties Receiving Them... "Everyone Is Dissatisfied"

Claims have been raised that substandard lunchboxes were distributed to disaster victims staying in temporary housing facilities due to the Gangneung wildfire. It is reported that some disaster victims, many of whom are elderly, refused to accept the lunchboxes.

According to Yonhap News and others on the 8th, complaints about the lunchboxes received for lunch erupted in a group chat of disaster victims affected by the Gangneung wildfire. Responses included, "Even the military doesn't serve food like this these days," "The rice is undercooked, it tastes like raw rice," and "It's Parents' Day..."

Lunch boxes provided to the victims of the Gangneung wildfire on the 8th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Photos of the lunchboxes show white rice, kimchi, pickled chili peppers, and stir-fried meat among three side dishes. Despite being unopened, the portions of rice and side dishes appear noticeably insufficient. One compartment for side dishes is completely empty. There were also complaints that the soybean paste soup provided was completely cold.

Following the large-scale wildfire last month that destroyed their homes, Gangneung City has been providing lunch and dinner lunchboxes twice a day since early this month for the disaster victims staying in temporary housing facilities. The lunchboxes are collected directly by the victims at the Gyeongpo Prosperity Association parking lot.

On the 1st, Gangneung City closed the Gangneung Arena, which had been used as a temporary shelter, and completed relocating the disaster victims to 23 lodging facilities including the Gangneung Green City Experience Center (Ijen), KIST dormitories, and pensions.

The problem is that most of the disaster victims are elderly and vulnerable to health issues. Some live in temporary housing facilities far from the lunchbox distribution site. Due to this, there had been criticism that the lunchbox collection point was too far, and the controversy grew when substandard lunchboxes were provided on Parents' Day.

Disappointed, some disaster victims left the lunchboxes untouched or decided to refuse to receive them in the future. Sharp reactions included statements like, "Thinking that this lunchbox was sent to my child or parents makes me furious," and "I was moved to tears when I saw the lunchbox."

One disaster victim expressed, "In this case, it would be better to replace lunchbox distribution with Gangneung currency or other methods," adding, "Volunteers, public officials, and disaster victims are all dissatisfied and struggling."

Gangneung City stated that it has received complaints regarding the lunchboxes from disaster victims and will consult with the lunchbox providers to address the issue.

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