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South Koreans turn to a viral map for meals under 8,000 won
The crowdsourced Geoji Map drew 1.3 million visitors within a month of its March 20 launch, as youth unemployment and consumer inflation rise.
In South Korea, budget-conscious young consumers are using a crowdsourced platform to find ultra-cheap meals, with Geoji Map helping users locate options priced below 8,000 won (about US$5.40). The site has turned the search for low-cost food into viral online activity, reflecting a wider cultural framing of extreme frugality amid mounting financial strain, according to the SCMP Economy.
Geoji Map, also known as the “Beggar Map,” attracted 1.3 million visitors within a month after it launched on March 20. The platform highlights how typical meals in major cities can cost 12,000 won or more, while many users are looking for lower-cost alternatives.
The rise in the platform’s popularity comes as South Korea’s youth unemployment rate reached 7.4% in the first quarter of 2026, the highest since 2021, and consumer inflation climbed 2.2% year on year in March. The outlet reports the map was created by software developer Choi Sung-soo after he lost his job during an AI-related restructuring.
Choi capped his daily food budget at 10,000 won while living on severance pay and built Geoji Map to help others facing similar constraints. He said working has become a privilege in South Korea and, with housing unaffordable, people need to compress long-term wealth building into a much shorter timeframe through aggressive saving and investing.