Instant Karma

One of the greatest things about living in South Korea is the food.  For about five bucks (at least outside of Seoul) you can sit down in a place with mostly fresh food and stuff your face.  (Those in the know will find places with free refills on kimchi and rice as needed.)

So while it's a little sad, it's also inevitable that instant and ready-made foods are becoming increasingly popular:

"Home meal replacement dishes are a growing trend in the global food industry, gaining popularity not only from young people, but also with older customers. Korea is one of several countries where the growth has gained momentum in the last few years backed by social changes like the rapidly aging society and the increase in single-person households.

Pre-packaged meals used to mean pouches of instant curry filled with mushy vegetables with no real substance, but today the ranges available offer far more palatable options, including recipes designed by famous chefs and ingredients that still retain their original texture.

Due to the improvement in taste and diversity, home meal replacement dishes have helped reduce the time people spend on cooking for special occasions."

As mentioned, South Korea is one of those rare countries where it's generally cheaper to eat out than it is to cook at home.  Hopefully that won't change any time soon.