[비즈한국] As the cooking survival show 'Culinary Class Wars' gains popularity, public interest in its military counterpart, 'Legendary Cooks,' is also surging. 'Legendary Cooks' is a military cooking survival program where active-duty cooks from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps compete for the honor of their units. It is being praised for showcasing the impressive culinary skills of military cooks and providing a fresh perspective on military meals, once disparagingly referred to as 'jjambap' (slop).
In 2021, poor military meals provided to soldiers in COVID-19 quarantine became a social issue after photos were posted on social media. Since then, military authorities have announced and implemented comprehensive measures to improve food service. Notably, with major corporations entering the military meal contracting market starting this year, the range of choices is expected to expand further.
Major food and catering companies such as Ourhome, Pulmuone, Daesang001680, and Dongwon F&B are actively promoting their military catering capabilities at domestic defense industry exhibitions. This is because the restriction on competitive bidding for catering subsidiaries of large business groups was lifted starting this year.
Samsung Welstory won a 12.7 billion won contract for the Korea Military Academy in March and subsequently secured a 10.2 billion won project for the Korea Army Academy in June. In April, Ourhome won the operation rights for the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing’s mess hall, with a budget reaching 42.7 billion won. They later secured the operation of the Army 1989 Unit's mess hall, valued at 10.7 billion won. Pulmuone Food & Culture and Dongwon Home Food are also reported to have won military catering projects this year. The Born Korea, led by CEO Paik Jong-won, also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of National Defense earlier this year and is conducting a pilot project to improve military meals.
The reason large catering firms are actively participating in military food service projects is to secure stable demand for three meals a day. High predictability allows them to minimize losses in areas like food supply. Furthermore, since the majority of the population consists of men in their 20s, it is easy to design menus that cater to their specific tastes and preferences.
Privately contracted catering is characterized by offering a diverse menu. At the Korea Military Academy, where private catering is applied, dishes range from Korean staples like dak-galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) and thinly sliced beef brisket with green onion salad to global cuisine including carbonara, stir-fried udon, nasi goreng, and Chinese-style rice bowls. Dessert options are also varied, featuring juice, salads, and puddings.
Soldiers have responded favorably to the private catering. According to a military meal satisfaction survey conducted by the Ministry of National Defense last year, satisfaction with private catering rose from 3.3 to 4.07 points compared to military-run facilities, while food waste decreased by 30%. The Ministry of National Defense plans to expand the scope of private catering from the current 34,000 personnel to 68,000 and is actively promoting buffet-style meals to enhance soldiers' menu selection rights.
However, the freezing of the 'basic meal budget' for soldiers next year is expected to act as a brake on the expansion of private catering. The Ministry of National Defense proposed a budget to the Ministry of Economy and Finance based on a '15,000 won' unit price—an increase of 2,000 won from this year's 13,000 won—but the Ministry of Economy and Finance submitted the budget to the National Assembly with the meal cost frozen at 13,000 won. A military food service official explained, "As the military catering market opens up to large corporations, companies are striving to secure their positions," adding, "There is a possibility of a 'race to the bottom' due to intense competition, and with the basic meal budget frozen, the expansion of these projects may be delayed."