The government controls what We eat

Ever since the Korea achieved its independence in 1845 to 1950s, Korea suffered from food shortage, especially rice. The price of rice inflated by more than 10% per year [3] To mitigate the food shortage and reduce rice consumption, the South Korean government imposed national policies to control everyday dietary of people. The government encouraged (but more like coerced) people to eat mixed rice and flour based products. As a result the eating culture has changed dramatically since 1950s. If people lived on rice and barley before 1950s, now we live on rice and flour [1]. This movement was possible because the US provided flour as humanitarian aid – flour was rare, expensive in Korea [2].

Screen shot image taken from e-Media History Museum

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Chosun ilbo article in August 27th, 1959 [3]

Chosun ilbo article in May 30th, 1959 [3]

Kyunghyang ilbo article in May 15th, 1963 [5]

“Eat flour for living, eat mixed rice for your health” was a slogan that the government used to encourage eating mixed rice and flour based products movement. The government advertised eating flour product as healthy way of eating. The left image is Chosun ilbo released in August 27th 1959. The article talks about the lesson about “more nutritious eating habit” the Ministry of Health and Welfare provided to the public [3,4]. Kyungsung ilbo's article is a story about an ordinary Korean family adjusting to eating flour based food frequently [5]. As the government encouraged people to eat more flour based products, local bakeries and baking factories first appeared in 1960s. Popular Gyeongju bread was invented in 1960s, too [2]. In 1960s to 1970s, Gyeongju bread was a big hit because it substituted sweet yeot and jochung. Yeot and jochung are made with rice; the government banned yeot and jochung production to save rice. Production of not only the two but also any other traditional food, like rice cake, that are made from rice were prohibited. Sugar was an alternative to yeot and jochung; however, sugar was too expensive for commoners to consume.

Governmental propaganda about eating flour based products

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The South Korean government “literally” controlled the dietary life of the public. Teachers in schools checked if students have mixed rice in their lunchboxes. If any student had white rice, she was punished. Also the government made every Wednesdays and Saturdays as designated “flour based food eating days” No restaurant could serve rice on Wednesdays and Saturdays; even on other weekdays, the restaurants had to serve mixed rice that has 25% of higher amount of barley [4].

“Moreover, the import of raw materials and simple manufacturing techniques led to the development of an industrial food processing industry that enabled accelerated mass production of food at a low-price. [3]” The government supported food companies such as Samyang, Jae-il, and Nongsim to produce processed food: canned food and ramen. By end of the 1950s, processed foods and flour based food replaced fresh, local food [3].

FUN FACTS: President Jung Hee Park suggested adding chili pepper powder to Nongsim’s Sin ramen! Very first Korean ramen products were not spicy at all.

  

References:

1. Inju Suh. “The Characteristics of National Policies on Eating Culture in 1960 -1970: the Study Focused on Mixed Rice and Flour Based Food Consumption Encouragement Movement.” SNU 1999.Print.

2. Joo, Youngha. Korean History on Eating Table. Seoul: Humanist, 2013. Print.

3. Kim, Mi-hye , and Hae-kyung Chung. "The Effects of National Policies on Food Consumption Patterns in the 1950’s – the Study Focused on Articles Written Between 1950-1959." Korean journal of Food culture 24 (1): 10-22. Print.

4. Kong JW. "Honpunshik Changny-ö Undong" and the Change of Dietary Life under the Period of State-mobilization System. Econ Soc 2008;77(3):107–138. Print
5. "Flour instead of rice." Naver News Library May 1963. Web. April. 2014 <http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1963051500329205001&editNo=6&printCount=1&publishDate=1963-05-15&officeId=00032&pageNo=5&printNo=5400&publishType=00020>