"Paldo Dosirak, Let Me Eat Slowly" Putin Opponent Navalny's 'Prison Appeal'

Paldo 'Dosirak' Captivates Russians
Navalny: "I Want to Eat 'Dosirak' Without Time Limit"

Paldo lunchbox for export. [Image provided by Paldo]

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is imprisoned, demanded the abolition of the prison meal time limit after burning his tongue while hastily eating the Korean cup noodle 'Dosirak,' but his request was denied.

On the 11th (local time), Russian legal news agency RAPSI and others reported that the Russian Supreme Court dismissed Navalny's lawsuit requesting the abolition of prison regulations regarding meal times and book possession.

Navalny argued that the prison regulations limit the time inmates can eat warm food for breakfast and dinner to "a maximum of 30 minutes," which he claimed was controversial. He said, "Because of this regulation, meal times are limited to 10 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening." He added, "The most popular item at the prison canteen is 'Dosirak,'" and appealed, "I wish I could eat it without any restrictions." He also mentioned that he burned his tongue because he ate the noodles too quickly.

'Dosirak' is a cup noodle brand by Paldo, characterized by its square container. Dosirak, one of Paldo's representative export products, surpassed 1 billion units sold overseas in 2003 and exceeded 4 billion units in 2015. It then surpassed 5 billion units in 2016. Especially since its export to Russia began in 1991, Dosirak has gained great popularity there, holding about a 60% market share.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Photo by AP Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Navalny also requested the abolition of the prison's book possession limit. Generally, inmates are allowed to possess ten books, but those who oppose the regime or are held in solitary confinement are limited to only one book. He complained that even religious books are limited to one, infringing on his religious rights. Navalny claimed, "Dissidents during the Soviet era were allowed to have more books than this." However, the Supreme Court did not accept Navalny's demands.

Meanwhile, Navalny, who is considered an opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin for leading anti-government movements, has been serving a prison sentence of over 30 years for charges including illegal acquisition of funds, extremist activities, and fraud since 2021. In August 2020, he was poisoned and fell into unconsciousness.

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