"Resolving Three Meals Neatly with Pantry Food"... Diverging Views on 'Tangpajok'

Due to high prices, a frugal investment trend called 'Jjantech' is popular among the cash-strapped MZ generation. New slang terms such as 'Naengpajok' (eating out of the fridge) and 'Tangpajok' (eating out of the pantry) have emerged, and various ways to survive the 'high inflation era,' from app tech to bottle recycling tech and used clothes tech, are being shared among young people.

Among these, a recent post titled "Is it right not to care how much an employee eats from the pantry?" appeared on the anonymous office worker community 'Blind,' drawing mixed reactions from netizens. The author, A, began by saying, "The youngest employee basically survives on pantry food for all three meals a day." They continued, "In the morning, they come to work and have an iced Americano coffee and two bread snacks like Ottna or Mon Cher," and explained, "In the afternoon, after lunch, they have iced coffee made with three Maxim coffee mixes along with two rice snacks."

Due to high inflation, the MZ generation, who are feeling the pinch in their wallets, are embracing frugal finance, known as 'Jjantech.' New buzzwords such as 'Naengpajok' (eating out of the fridge) and 'Tangpajok' (raiding the office pantry) have emerged, while various methods to survive the 'high inflation era,' from app tech to bottle recycling tech and used clothing tech, are being shared among young people. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

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A also claimed that the youngest employee even diligently makes lemonade with sparkling water stocked in the pantry and powder they brought themselves between meals and before leaving work. When this youngest employee was absent, the employee who goes grocery shopping used to go about once a month, but recently it has increased to once every 2-3 weeks. Finally, A said, "I've never seen anyone eat this much at work before," and asked for advice, "Is it right to just leave it alone?" Netizens' opinions on A's post were divided.

Some netizens who agreed with A commented, "What you see is just a fraction of how much they actually eat," and "A small thief becomes a big thief; if they keep eating like that, they might eventually take snacks or drinks from the pantry home." On the other hand, many netizens said, "Isn't that amount of snack reasonable to eat?", "It's not like they're eating a whole box a day; that amount is acceptable," "The pantry is there for that purpose in the first place," and "Don't criticize what people eat! Pantry supplies are also part of the company's competitiveness."

Lee Ji-eun (IU), who played Lee Ji-an in the drama "My Mister," is seen grabbing a handful of coffee mix from the pantry. [Drama screen capture]

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Regarding pantry pilfering, a famous scene from the drama 'My Mister' shows employee Lee Ji-an (Lee Ji-eun) taking coffee mixes from the company pantry while Dong-hoon (Lee Sun-kyun) watches.

Meanwhile, taking company-owned items such as those in the pantry without permission can be considered embezzlement if done by an employee managing supplies, or theft if done by a regular employee, and may be subject to punishment, so special caution is required.

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