Jeollanam-do and Jeonnam Office of Education Finalize Cost-Sharing Ratio for Free School Meals

Local Governments to Cover 40%, Office of Education 60%
Agreement Effective for Three Years from 2026 to 2028

Jeollanam-do and the Jeonnam Office of Education have reached a final agreement on the cost-sharing ratio for free school meal food expenses, with local governments covering 40% and the Office of Education covering 60%. The photo shows a commemorative picture taken after the joint task force meeting on school meals, including the adjustment of the long-term cost-sharing ratio. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeollanam-do has announced that it has reached a final agreement with the Jeonnam Office of Education on the cost-sharing ratio for free school meal food expenses, with local governments covering 40% and the Office of Education covering 60%. This decision was confirmed by the School Meal Support Review Committee. The agreement will be in effect for three years, from 2026 to 2028.

Jeollanam-do and the Jeonnam Office of Education faced challenges last year during discussions over the cost-sharing ratio for the free meal budget. However, to improve the situation and strengthen their cooperative relationship, they began holding working-level meetings earlier this year and established a joint task force on school meals, including the adjustment of long-term cost-sharing ratios, in May.

The joint task force consists of eight members, including representatives from Jeollanam-do, the Jeonnam Office of Education, the Jeonnam Provincial Council, and school meal stakeholders. From June to September, the task force held three meetings to discuss efficient school meal operations, including the cost-sharing ratio for free meal food expenses, methods for supplying eco-friendly agricultural products, and ways to expand the distribution of the public meal service integration platform (SeaT).

During this process, two roundtable discussions were held with experts and on-site stakeholders in school meals, gathering a wide range of opinions from schools, suppliers, and eco-friendly agricultural product producer organizations.

Through this consistent communication, a final agreement was reached on the cost-sharing ratio and duration for free school meals, the method of supplying eco-friendly agricultural products (in-kind), and the expansion of the public meal service integration platform (SeaT). Based on this agreement, the School Meal Support Review Committee confirmed the plan.

Kim Yungrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, stated, "This agreement is a meaningful achievement that marks a significant step forward by Jeollanam-do and the Office of Education for the healthy future of our students." He emphasized, "It serves as an important foundation for continuously strengthening the production and distribution base for eco-friendly agricultural products, and it provides a stable operating environment for nutrition teachers and suppliers. We will continue to work closely with the Office of Education to further advance school meals in Jeollanam-do."

Jeollanam-do plans to allocate 49.6 billion won to support the free school meal program in 2026, and 39.3 billion won for the eco-friendly agricultural product ingredient subsidy program, investing a total of 88.9 billion won in school meal support.

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