'Map for beggars' goes viral as Koreans seek cheap eats amid rising prices

'Geojimap' website shows eateries priced under 10,000 won ($7) across Seoul, Wednesday. Captured from Geojimap website

A graduate student surnamed Jeong, living in Seoul's Seongbuk District, recently began using a crowdsourced map of cheap eateries to cope with rising dining costs.

"I came across it on an online campus community and found a noodle place for 5,000 won ($3.30)," she said. "I got tired of cafeteria food, but eating out is expensive these days since most places cost 10,000 to 15,000 won. It's a burden for a student like me."

The website, Geojimap, which translates to "map for beggars," has gone viral among young Koreans seeking budget meals as surging food prices take a toll on their wallets.

The platform aggregates user recommendations of restaurants where a meal can be had for under 10,000 won, operating on what it describes as the "collective intelligence and strict evaluation of beggars." More than 2,500 restaurants and cafes across the country have been listed as of Wednesday.

Users not only share locations but also post detailed reviews. One pork cutlet restaurant in Seoul's Seodaemun District, where a meal costs around 4,000 won, drew comments such as "It's worth 15,000 won" and "Portions were so large I couldn't finish."

Not every cheap option makes it onto the map. Nutrition is also a factor.

According to the site's guidelines, menu items priced above 7,000 won may be strictly restricted if they consist mainly of carbohydrates and lack protein.

People pass by a restaurant in Seoul, June 11, 2024. Yonhap

The website was created by 34-year-old developer Choi Sung-soo, who said he launched the platform on March 21 after noticing growing demand for affordable meal information. The service is currently funded mainly by donations.

"I'm just one of a growing number of people trying to cut back on living costs. But information on cheap eateries was scattered, so I wanted to bring it together on one platform," Choi told The Korea Times.

Choi said the name Geojimap, while seemingly harsh in referring to users as beggars, reflects a broader culture of finding humor in frugality.

"It's not about self-deprecation, but rather a playful way for people to collectively cope with rising costs," he said, noting that the website has drawn over 400,000 users so far.

The growing popularity of the platform comes as surging dining prices take a bigger bite out of household budgets.

According to data from the Korea Consumer Agency, the average price of gimbap (seasoned seaweed rice roll), which has long been considered an affordable staple, stood at 3,800 won in February, up 7.4 percent from a year earlier. Bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables) averaged 11,615 won, samgyeopsal (pork belly) stood at 21,141 won, while kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) averaged 9,962 won.

Pressure on food prices is expected to persist as the Middle East crisis fuels inflation in Korea.

The OECD last week projected Korea's inflation rate at 2.7 percent for 2026, a sharp upward revision from its previous forecast of 1.8 percent in December.