Mother: Watching Korean TV are you?
Poki: Shh!
Mother: Hang on, how come the actors are Indonesians? Wow, a scene from a demonstration, and they're demonstrating against MBG. This is an Indonesian news report broadcast by Korea!
Poki: Shh!!!
President Prabowo Subianto's flagship Free Nutritional Meal (MBG) program is currently in the spotlight in the South Korean media with a KBS World TV broadcast featuring different aspects of the program, including the budget size, supply chain readiness, food distribution mechanisms and maintaining food quality before students receive it.
A speaker from Yonsei University told KBS TV that "a national-scale program like the MBG requires thorough preparation, particularly in terms of procurement, operational standards, supervision and distribution".
KBS TV also compared the school meal delivery systems in South Korea and Indonesia. In South Korea, food is generally cooked directly in school kitchens, making it easier to maintain food quality and safety. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, most MBG food comes from the provider's kitchen and is then distributed to schools.
This distribution model is considered to have its own challenges, especially in a tropical country like Indonesia. The long distribution chain requires strict supervision to ensure food remains safe, hygienic and edible when received by students.
The KSB broadcast also touched on other issues surrounding the program ranging from criticism of the large budget, allegations of procurement irregularities, the involvement of the military and student demonstrations against the program.
[Translated by James Balowski from an Instagram posting titled Program Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) kini menjadi sorotan media Korea Selatan.]
