"Consider Food Allergies and Vegetarian Soldiers"... Recommendation to Improve Military Meal Services

Military Meal Services Should Guarantee Basic Rights
Linking "Conscription Assessment Data" to Meal Support
"Institutional Support for Meal Service Minorities Must Be Expanded"

There has been a recommendation to strengthen institutional support for military personnel who find it difficult to use standard meal services due to food allergies, vegetarian preferences, or religious reasons. The underlying idea is that military meals should be regarded as an essential factor in guaranteeing service members' right to health and basic rights, and that relevant laws and meal service guidelines should be revised accordingly.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced on the 22nd that it had recommended improvements to the military meal environment to the Minister of National Defense, the Chiefs of Staff of each military branch, the Commander of the Marine Corps, and the Commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration. The Commission urged the Ministry of National Defense and each service branch to apply consistent requirements for labeling allergenic ingredients across all aspects of meal operations, and to establish diverse alternative dining standards, including substitute side dishes, alternative beverages, selective meals, and substitute desserts.

Trainees serving meals at the barracks cafeteria of the Recruit Training Battalion. Archive photo. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

It was suggested that cash support should be allowed only as an exception when support is not feasible within the military meal system itself. The Commission also recommended that the status of personnel requiring vegetarian, religious, allergen-free, or health-specific diets be managed systematically, and that relevant support be implemented in practice even for meals outsourced to civilian contractors, by revising the standards for contracts and operations.

The Ministry of National Defense was advised to specify the concept and scope of "meal service minorities" and the state's obligation of protection in the "Military Meal Service Basic Act" or its subordinate statutes, and to reflect the protection of such soldiers' rights and welfare in related administrative guidelines. The Military Manpower Administration was directed to establish standards to ensure the dietary information gathered during conscription and enlistment assessments is linked to meal support at both the training center and assigned units. The forms used for personal information were also recommended to be revised so that, in addition to indicating vegetarian status, they include the need for religious meals, food allergies, and health-related dietary restrictions.

This recommendation was made after reviewing the results of a 2023 survey on meal environments for military personnel, as well as data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense, the Military Manpower Administration, and each branch of the military from 2024 through February of this year. A representative from the Human Rights Commission stated, "Service members living on base, unlike those in broader society, face difficulty in freely choosing their meals or procuring alternative meals from outside. Supporting minorities in meal service is not an exceptional consideration for individual members, but rather a fundamental rights guarantee that the military must manage systemically."

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