S. Korean military to overhaul field rations

The South Korean military plans to overhaul field rations to cater to the taste of young troops by adopting instant food items made by private companies and more than tripling the menus.

According to an Army official on Wednesday, the Army plans to pilot test private companies` instant food products for civilian use as field rations at some units, before supplying them to the entire troops. The plan reflects the current trend in which instant outdoor food items are becoming popular following the introduction of the five-day workweek system.

While halving the types of field rations from four to two, the Army plans to increase menus from 11 to 36. Currently, there are four types of field rations depending on how they are consumed. Among them, Type 3 rations, which are ready-to-eat foods that can be heated with an exothermic chemical heater without the need for a fire or water, is the most favored by troops for convenience and good taste.

The Army plans to lower the cost for field rations in accordance with technological advances for exothermic chemicals and reduce the weight to make it easy to carry them, the official said. The ready-to-eat rations weight 1,028 grams per meal, heavier than the 867 grams of U.S. Army rations.

The Army has decided to hand out the new rations and private companies` products half and half from 2017. A final plan will be concluded after public hearings involving experts, the official said.

neone@donga.com