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5 min
17/12/2025
If you love Korean dramas, you know lunch scenes often reveal as much about characters as their work. As for Korea’s offices, they are not too far from our own culture of packing dabbas. Those without the lunchboxes mix things up, and also have lively corporate cafeterias that serve delicious food, lined with social rituals and hierarchy.
Typical of East Asian office culture, office lunches in Korea are a game of hierarchical structure and team building. Meals may have shifted from the royal court to the corporate cafeteria, but the essence remains the same. Like our very own dabbas and Japanese bentos, Koreans take packed meals called dosirak to the office. The corporate cafeterias (called ‘sanae sikdang’ or 구내식당) are where the office workers in Seoul, Busan, or elsewhere usually eat. Dive in to know more about the how, what, and why of Korean office lunch culture.
The idea of packed meals in Korea stretches back to the Joseon era, when peasants and travellers carried food in woven bamboo or wooden boxes (tumak) to eat away from home. During the 20th century, especially after industrialisation and following the Korean War, simpler metal lunchboxes made of tin or aluminium became common. As for school settings, children carried these boxed meals; later, as urban work culture grew, office workers began relying on boxed meals too. The Japanese colonial period also introduced bento‑style lunch packing, which influenced the modern dosirak.
Dosirak (도시락) is the Korean version of a boxed lunch, whether homemade or bought from stores. It usually has steamed white rice (sometimes mixed grains), a protein like grilled fish, bulgogi, tofu, or rolled omelette, and several banchan (side dishes): kimchi, seasoned veggies (spinach namul, bean sprouts, seaweed), maybe dried anchovies or braised beans. Some versions include egg, sausage, or light meat stir‑fries. It’s built on the core principle of a balanced meal of carbs, protein, and veggies, all packaged in compartments for easy transport and eating.
You must have come across videos of Korean office lunches on social media. Depending on the workplace or institution, the scale and variety of dishes may change. Corporate cafeterias in Seoul and similar cities rotate daily menus offering Korean home‑style meals. A typical meal tray includes rice, soup or stew (doenjang jjigae, etc.), a main protein (meat, fish, or chicken), multiple side dishes (kimchi always included, plus vegetables, pickled radish, sometimes jeon), and sometimes a Western or Chinese option. These meals are usually subsidised and affordable (around 5,000‑6,000 won), all aimed towards providing balanced nutrition and variety.
Surveys from around 2013 to 2016 showed that office worker lunches in Seoul averaged about 6,442 won to 6,370 won, which was moderately less than in other regions. What was observed was that many workers were already trying to cut costs by bringing home‑packed lunches or buying from convenience stores rather than eating at restaurants. It’s 2025 now, and the prices have almost doubled, especially in areas like Gangnam, Samseong‑dong, and Yeouido. This has made terms like ‘lunchflation’ quite popular, which is why cafeterias and homemade meals remain the cheaper options.
Typical of East Asian dining customs, office lunches in Korea are a mirror of Confucian‑rooted values. At meals, it is customary to wait for the most senior or eldest person to begin eating before starting oneself.
Seating often reflects rank – higher status or older members get honour-seats, further from the doors. Junior staff tend to defer in subtle ways – waiting for food to be served, allowing seniors to lead conversation, even helping serve or refill.
Time pressure is common – though lunch breaks exist, employees may feel the need to return quickly or skip portions of rest to meet expectations. All this turns lunch into more than nourishment, as it should be, and becomes a structured ritual of work culture.
Given the time crunch and the exotic ingredients that go into making a Korean set meal, it might not be feasible to pack a whole Korean meal for your lunchbox. So, you can try these one-pot dishes instead:
Bibimbap (비빔밥): It’s mixed rice with assorted vegetables, gochujang (red pepper paste), and optionally an egg or meat.
Kimchi fried rice (김치볶음밥): A lifesaver on busy days, it’s made by stir-frying aged kimchi with rice, gochujang (optional), and usually topped with a fried egg.
Dak jjim (닭찜): This is soy sauce-based braised chicken with potatoes, carrots, and onions. You can pack it with a side of rice and kimchi.
Tuna Mayo Deopbap (참치마요덮밥): This uses creamy tuna mixed with mayo and a splash of soy sauce. It’s served over steamed rice and topped with crunchy seaweed flakes.
Sausage Banchan Rice (분홍소세지 도시락: This meal is made with pan-fried sweet Korean pink sausages served with a drizzle of ketchup on rice.
Korean office lunch culture blurs the line between tradition, practicality, and social nuance. From the humble dosirak, rooted in history, to bustling corporate cafeterias where hierarchy and camaraderie intersect, lunch is much more than just food. It reflects teamwork, respect, and the fast-paced rhythm of Korean work life.
