Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
To match soldiers' tastes, military brings wider ice cream selection to barracks
Republic of Korea Army soldiers take a cool break with ice cream while supporting local disaster relief efforts in Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, Aug. 11, 2020. Yonhap
By Jhoo Dong-chan
For a young conscript enduring the muggy heat of Korean summer, few moments in basic training rival the quiet comfort of a cold dessert. But for decades, that brief respite came with a mandatory catch: you ate whatever single, government-contracted ice cream bar landed in your mess hall, whether you liked it or not.
Now, in a subtle yet telling sign of how Korea’s armed forces are adapting to a new generation of recruits, the military is giving soldiers something rarely associated with military life: freedom of choice.
The Public Procurement Service said Thursday it is scrapping its long-standing single-vendor contract system for military ice cream. In its place, the agency is introducing a multisupplier contract framework that allows individual military units to order a tailored roster of popular commercial treats directly through an internal procurement marketplace.
The policy shift is aimed squarely at satisfying the changing palates of Gen Z recruits. Today's soldiers, born around the turn of the millennium, grew up in one of the world's most competitive food markets, where convenience stores stock dizzying varieties of seasonal snacks and treats. Forcing young conscripts to accept a one-size-fits-all dessert was increasingly out of step with modern expectations, according to military officials.
Under the new system, four major Korean food and confectionery manufacturers — Binggrae, Seoju, Daesang and CJ CheilJedang — have signed on to supply 20 popular commercial products. The selection ranges from nostalgic classics to contemporary convenience-store hits, including Binggrae’s iconic Samanco (a fish-shaped waffle filled with vanilla ice cream and sweet red bean), creamy soft-serve cups, melon-flavored slushies, condensed milk shaved ice and chocolate-filled monaka ice cream sandwiches.
Officials say the roster of participating brands and dessert offerings will continue to expand in the coming months.
The ice cream overhaul forms part of a broader push that began in July 2020, when the Public Procurement Service took over the acquisition of general military supplies from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Since the transition, procurement officials have steadily introduced multisupplier agreements across various food categories to boost morale and meal satisfaction across the ranks.
The strategy appears to be paying off.
According to government data, procurement spending on multisupplier food items reached 461.3 billion won ($335 million) last year, an 8.1 percent increase compared to 2024. Meanwhile, the total number of food items registered on the defense procurement portal surged by 37.2 percent to 7,013 products, up from 5,113 a year earlier. The number of participating suppliers also climbed 78 percent to 614 companies.
"Switching the procurement method for military ice cream to a multi-supplier contract is a measure to guarantee soldiers' freedom of choice in their meals and ultimately enhance the quality of barracks life," said Baek Ho-sung, director general of the agency's Purchase Business Bureau. "We will continue to actively supply a diverse array of products that reflect the preferences of our military personnel."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.