Complaint about quarantine food quality raises eyebrows
The image captured from Instagram shows one of the messages posted by a Korean evacuee from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan who has complained about quality of meals offered to the government-run quarantine facility.
By Jun Ji-hye
A Korean evacuee from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan has been causing a stir after making numerous complaints about the quality of meals offered to those at the government-run quarantine facilities.
The evacuee, who was quarantined in the Police Human Resources Development Institute in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, has posted several photos of lunch boxes on Instagram and other social media services with messages mostly complaining about the dishes offered and temperature of the food.
He was among the 368 Korean evacuees from Wuhan who arrived at Gimpo International Airport, Jan. 31, on the chartered Korean Air plane arranged by the government.
On Feb. 2, the evacuee wrote, “It is the third day here. The menu consists mostly of fattening food. I hope they give us more fruit.”
The evacuee continued, “What I hate the most is cold rice… It is the worst system.”
The evacuee wrote again the following day, saying, “I hate cold rice and cold soup so much. It is so sad, the first day was the only day I ate warm food.”
A few days later, the evacuee wrote, “Again, I ate cold rice. I am thinking about ordering a microwave online.”
On Feb. 9, when Cheong Wa Dae offered lunch boxes including grilled eels to the two quarantine centers, the evacuee wrote, “I was so curious about the lunch box as it was offered by the President. It is still cold. I am sorry for leaving food.”
Lunch boxes worth 13,000 won ($11) each are given to the Korean evacuees three times a day in addition to snacks such as bread and fruit. The menu varies on a daily basis.
The comments from the evacuee provoked controversy, with online commentators saying grumbling about meals was inappropriate at a time when many government officials and those in the private sector have been putting a lot of effort into arranging chartered planes and bringing Korean people back to their home country.
“You are not on vacation,” one online commentator wrote on a Naver blog.
Some tried to defend the evacuee, saying it was just his personal Instagram account, and the witch hunt should not go too far.