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| Students line up to have a meal for 1,000 won ($0.77) at Kyung Hee University in eastern Seoul, March 13. Yonhap |
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) decided Friday to push for expanding the 1,000 won ($0.77) breakfast project for college students with municipal funds, officials said.
The DPK's top policymaker, Kim Min-seok, discussed the matter in a meeting with the heads of local governments and local assembly members who are members of the party.
Under the plan, the DPK plans to provide meals worth 4,000 won on average for the price of 1,000 won to college students for breakfast by making the government pay 1,000 won and the schools pay the rest.
The municipal heads affiliated with the DPK have also decided to provide the financial aid after discussions with the central government, Kim said.
Kim called on the central government to expand funding for the project, saying fewer than 50 colleges out of about 350 colleges across the country can currently join the project.
Kim also said the DPK will consider expanding the project for young adults who are not enrolled in college or work at industrial complexes.
North Jeolla Province Gov. Kim Kwan-young said his province will secure an extra budget for the project in May and asked the DPK to discuss the matter with the ruling People Power Party to increase state funding.
The 1,000 won meal project, which first began in 2017, recently gained wide attention amid soaring inflation. (Yonhap)
