Korean · Culture & Society
급식給食
geupsik
Also written: school meal; cafeteria meal; institutional meal service
A meal provided by a school or institution; in youth-drama contexts, usually school lunch.
Literal meaning
provided meal service
Cultural context
Geupsik also refers to the institutional meal program itself. Lunch periods reveal friendship groups, exclusion, class dynamics, routine, and informal student culture.
How dramas use it
Characters save seats, eat alone, trade food, experience bullying, receive care, or gather information during geupsik scenes.
Usage & formality
School lunch is usually the natural translation in school dramas. Cafeteria food may fit when attention is on the meal itself.