Lee visits food bank to promote low-barrier welfare program

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) checks a bag of food and daily necessities at a food bank in Chungju, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 11, 2026, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Lee-food bank

Lee visits food bank to promote low-barrier welfare program

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday visited a regional food bank and voiced support for expanding a low-barrier welfare program designed to help people in urgent need.

Lee toured a food support center, called "Just Dream," in Chungju, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, which offers basic food and daily necessities to people facing financial hardship without requiring income documentation or complex eligibility procedures.

Lee said the initiative was intended to prevent vulnerable individuals from falling into severe hardship, including situations in which they might resort to minor offenses just to get by.

"The idea is to make sure no one goes hungry or ends up going to prison for stealing eggs," he said, adding that support should not be limited based solely on a person's place of residence.

During last week's Cabinet meeting, Lee called for further expansion of the program to better assist those in need by lowering barriers for individuals who might otherwise be excluded from welfare benefits due to procedural hurdles.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, the pilot program is currently operating at 107 centers nationwide and has served more than 36,000 users in its first two months.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved