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Office of External Affairs hosts "Free Breakfast & 1,000-Won Lunch" student meal support event
Donation-funded meals support 2,400 students on both campuses during exam period

Ahead of final exams, students were greeted with a warm meal. From Tuesday, June 9, to Thursday, June 11, the Office of External Affairs hosted a meal support initiative for the first semester of the 2026 academic year across both the Seoul and Global Campuses. Featuring the "Free Breakfast" and "1,000-Won Lunch" programs, the event aimed to ease financial stress during exam week and support students' studies with nourishing meals.

Donation-Funded "Free Breakfast" and "1,000-Won Lunch"

The initiative was funded by micro-donations raised through the "Todac-Todac Support Table" campaign. Since launching in 2021, the campaign has become Kyung Hee's flagship grassroots giving program, directly connecting alumni and donor contributions to student welfare through hands-on meal support.

The event took place simultaneously across both the Seoul and Global Campuses. The "Free Breakfast" program expanded upon the Student Support Center’s existing "1,000-Won Breakfast" initiative. For three days during final exams, donor funds covered the remaining 1,000-won student co-pay, allowing students to enjoy a free breakfast. Meals were provided to 300 students daily at the Seoul Campus (Pureunsol Cafeteria) and the Global Campus (Student Center Cafeteria), serving 900 students in total.

Lunchtime featured the "1,000-Won Lunch" program, which served 500 students daily across the Cheongwoon Building Cafeteria in Seoul and the Student Center Cafeteria on the Global Campus, benefiting 1,500 students. For just 1,000 won, students enjoyed high-quality meals valued at 5,500 won, with donor funds covering the difference. The cafeterias offered three menu choices daily, including two premium 8,500-won options on featured menu days—all available at the same 1,000-won price point.

Supporting Students, Connecting Through Gratitude

On special menu days, donors, university leadership, and student representatives visited the cafeterias to offer words of encouragement. Visiting the Cheongwoon Building Cafeteria on the Seoul Campus on Wednesday, June 10, President Jinsang Kim shared: "I hope this provides a small boost to our students working hard during final exams. Eat well, stay strong, and achieve great results." Guests greeted students at the serving line, posed for pictures at a dedicated photo zone, and shared lunch together. A similar visit took place at the Global Campus Student Union Cafeteria on Thursday, June 11.

Beyond offering meals, the event created a heartwarming space connecting donors directly with the student body. The university displayed banners highlighting donor names throughout the cafeterias and set up a message station next to the Donor Wall for students to leave hand-written thank-you notes. These messages of gratitude will later be presented to donors as commemorative appreciation plaques.

"Learning to Pay it Forward to Future Students"

Student Government President Chang-Hoon Shin (Department of Public Administration) expressed gratitude on behalf of the student body: "Thanks to these generous donations, students could enjoy a full meal for just 1,000 won. We view this as warm encouragement from our alumni and professors to stay focused on our studies, and we will remember this kindness so that we, too, can pay it forward to future generations of Kyung Hee students."

Participating students shared that the meal program provided tangible relief during exam week. Woo-Chan Jung (Department of Business Administration) remarked: "The 1,000-won lunch is in high demand, so I lined up right at 11:00 AM when sales opened to catch it for the first time. It is a fantastic opportunity for students, and experiencing this kind of support really deepens my pride in and affection for the university."

Freshmen also shared enthusiastic feedback. First-year students Seo-Ra Lee and Sa-Bin Jang (School of Global Eminence) noted: "Enjoying our very first 1,000-won lunch as freshmen made it particularly memorable. We had the hamburger set, and it was remarkably filling for just 1,000 won. We are deeply grateful to the donors who made this possible—it is a vital welfare program for students."

Appreciation poured in from the Global Campus as well. Jun-Young Cho (Department of Mechanical Engineering) reflected: "Knowing this meal was funded by alumni caring for younger students made it feel all the more special." Chan-Young Park (Department of Convergence Bioscience and Materials) added: "The menu selection was excellent. It is a wonderful initiative that even brings in students who do not typically eat at the cafeteria, providing meaningful relief for anyone managing a tight budget." Hyun-Seok Lee (Department of Electronic Engineering) expressed his thanks, saying: "Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, I was able to enjoy a hearty, high-quality meal."

The meal support event was powered by a dedicated fundraising drive aimed at securing 18 million won through 60 individual contributions of 300,000 won each. As of June 1, pledges reached 13.77 million won—achieving 76.5% of the target—with the remaining amount covered by existing student welfare donation funds. Kyung Hee plans to continue expanding donor-backed programs that deliver tangible benefits to students.