"After the price rise, I went to convenience stores instead, where I thought the prices were reasonable while food also tasted good," the 62-year-old said. "So now I go there two to three times a week." Global food prices surged 23 percent last month from a year before, according to an agricultural arm of the United Nations. The war in Ukraine has impacted supplies of grains from there and Russia, and caused energy and fertiliser prices to soar. Offering cheap instant noodles, sandwiches and "gimbap" (rice rolls) for under $5, convenience stores are gaining in popularity as salaried workers like Park seek ways to cut costs. South Korean convenience shop chain GS25 posted more than 30 percent increases in sales of instant meals in January-May versus a year ago. Seeing increasing demand, GS25 has also launched a new meal subscription service for office workers, which comes with price discounts and deliveries directly to offices. Peers including CU and 7-Eleven have seen similar … [Read more...] about S.Korean office workers hit convenience stores as ‘lunch-flation’ bites