South Korean soldiers to be provided with buffet-style meals - military meals that once caused controversy as being ``too poor''

According to South Korean public broadcaster KBS, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense (Ministry corresponds to the Ministry) has introduced measures such as providing meals in a buffet format on a trial basis as one of the measures to improve the living environment of the military.
announced a comprehensive environmental improvement plan for the military. Currently, soldiers are provided with school lunches prepared by military cooks, but the aim is to increase satisfaction with buffet-style meals provided by private vendors. Provided to Korean soldiers
In the past, there was controversy over the meals served, as the menu was considered too poor. Improvements have been made since then, but according to KBS, the current school lunch style food prepared by soldiers and served
The thing is, the satisfaction level is around 70 points. In the military environment improvement measures announced by the Ministry of National Defense on the 17th of this month, the current school lunch format consisting of rice, soup, and side dishes will be revised regarding the meals provided to soldiers.
The plan includes a change to a buffet-style meal prepared by a private company. There are over 10 types to choose from, including fried chicken, pork cutlets, hamburgers, and ramen. KBS
According to a report, the service will be offered on a trial basis starting next year to approximately 17,000 soldiers assigned to 13 military units nationwide.
Regarding the meals provided to South Korean soldiers, in April 2021, a soldier posted on his social media
The post sparked controversy, calling it ``too crude.'' At the time, the soldier returned from leave and entered a pre-return quarantine period to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Post a photo of the bento. The disposable lunch containers contained only rice, kimchi, small amounts of pickled vegetables, and stir-fried chicken; the other container was empty. Soldier who posted
``I wonder if the same goes for meals in other units. Cell phones are left in the cell, there is no TV, and meals are even served. How is this different from a prison cell?'' he said, expressing his anger.
However, after this post came to light, the Ministry of National Defense and the various militaries did not immediately begin to understand the current situation, and the Ministry of National Defense initially said,
"We believe that all menu items were served normally." Later, in response to growing criticism of the military, the Army Chief of Staff apologized. The Minister of Defense at the time personally visited the site and was in charge of the site.
A report was received from the person concerned. The affair began with the poor quality of military food provided during quarantine, leading to suspicions that soldiers were not getting enough to eat.
There were also concerns about low morale among soldiers. After receiving criticism, the Ministry of National Defense has finally taken a stand and introduced the ``Electronic Procurement System for Military Meals,'' which is based on the school lunch system, for military meals.
. The nutritionist will personally plan the menu, bid on ingredients, make contracts, and handle payments. The company also sought to increase the number of nutritionists.
Then, in October 2021, the menu contrasted with the controversial meal
The photo was posted on SNS and became a Hot Topic. A person claiming to be an active military member posted a photo purporting to be of a menu provided to soldiers. Boiled beef, vegetables, and chicken stew soup are on the plate.
There was a variety of menu items such as pudding, cheese tonkatsu, and bulgogi burger. Netizens who saw the photo commented, ``It's so different from when I was in the military,'' ``It's unbelievable.''
It's gorgeous," some said. Things seemed to have improved, but even after that, ``I was served undercooked chicken breast'' and ``Isn't there a supervisor to supervise the meals?
Some people continued to express dissatisfaction with the food provided, with some complaining that the food was not cooked properly. On the other hand, he said, ``A new school lunch administrator has been appointed to our unit, and the quality of school lunches has improved.I'm proud of everyone.
There are also posts introducing plates with a variety of items on them, such as "I want to eat a meal", so it seems that ultimately it depends on the ability of the school lunch administrator in charge.
As mentioned above, starting next year, the meals provided to soldiers will be a buffet restaurant where they can freely choose from more than 10 menu items for each meal.
will be introduced on a trial basis. According to KBS, the Ministry of National Defense expects that the buffet style will significantly increase soldiers' satisfaction with their meals. The reaction of the soldiers is noteworthy.