Have you eaten?

By Kim Rahn

In Korea, one of the most common greetings is “Have you eaten?”

It is not really to ask whether the person had a meal: it is just to ask whether he or she is doing fine.

As seen in the expression, eating is an important act for Koreans, beyond just a means to maintain life. Having a good meal (not having expensive food but having a good time eating) means having a good life.

Unfortunately, it seems that having a pleasant, relaxed meal is becoming a difficult mission for a growing number of people. It’s either because of a lack of money or a lack of time ― or both.

A recent survey of 1,115 office workers by Job Korea, a recruitment portal, showed that they spend 6,370 won for lunch on average, 3 percent down from last year’s 6,566 won.

This was the first time for the spending to go down since the portal started the annual survey in 2009. Until last year, spending used to keep rising along with a rise in prices.

This was mainly because of the change of where they eat. Nearly 44 percent said they ate at nearby restaurants, a huge drop from last year’s 68.7 percent. Instead, 34.9 percent said they eat at company cafeterias, where meals are relatively cheap, a big jump from last year’s 22.5 percent. Some 13 percent said they bring lunch from home, up from 5.1 percent.

If money matters to some in having a meal, time matters to others.

Four out of 10 college students make do with ramen or “gimbap” (a seaweed rice roll) from convenience stores two to three times a week, according to a survey by Chungbuk National University of 352 students at three colleges based in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

Some 42 percent said they buy such food at convenience stores two to three times a week, while 19.3 percent said three to four times, and 9.9 percent, more than four times.

For the reasons, 43.7 percent said because they can easily grab the foods, and 32 percent said because they don’t have time to eat at a restaurant. Sixteen percent cited cheap prices.

But it seems many people lack both time and money to have a proper meal.

In late May, a 19-year-old mechanic, surnamed Kim, died while fixing a malfunctioning platform screen door after being hit by an arriving train at Guui Station on subway line No. 2 in eastern Seoul.

Belonging to Eunseong PSD, a subcontractor to the subway operator Seoul Metro under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Kim was one of 125 employees assigned to fix 7,700 screen doors at 97 stations.

When he was fixing the Guui Station screen door, he had already been assigned to another door at a different station. According to the contract between Seoul Metro and Eunseong PSD, mechanics should arrive at the station in less than an hour upon receiving a report.

Such a heavy workload and hectic schedule came from the shortage of manpower ― and the accident and following investigation have uncovered corruption, unfair contracts between the prime contractor and subcontractors and many other structural problems.

Although the problem at the subway management sector may be improved following this incident, there are tens of thousands of, or millions of workers like Kim who are pressed for money and time. Kim, a non-regular worker, was paid 1.44 million won per month.

In Kim’s bag at the accident scene were tools and an instant cup noodle. Probably he skipped lunch as the accident took place at 5:57 p.m. Saturday. His father said Kim often had to skip meals due to his tight work schedule.

I hope Kim rests in peace. And I hope all hard-working people can answer “yes” to the question, “Have you eaten?”