Which Seoul schools are using Gangnam District’s cooking robots?

The system operates at Gaeil Elementary, Gaewon Middle and Seoul Robotics High School. The pilot began in August 2023 through a partnership involving Gangnam District, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Korea Robotics.

How do the upgraded cooking robots make school kitchens safer for workers?

The robots take over tasks such as deep-frying, stirring large vats of soup and preparing stir-fries. An automated drainage feature removes hot grease after frying, reducing the need for workers to handle scalding oil, while earlier testing found a 28.6 percent reduction in exposure to harmful fumes and fine dust.

How often were Gangnam school meal robots used, and what did students think of the food?

The robots operated on 439 of 548 lunch service days, an 80.1 percent utilization rate, across 693 meal-preparation cycles. In a survey of 563 students conducted during the first half of the year, 95.9 percent said the robot-prepared food tasted good.

Robotic arms take over school kitchen duties in southern Seoul

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Summary

Gangnam District upgraded cooking robots at three schools in southern Seoul this year to handle demanding kitchen tasks. The system automatically drains hot oil after frying and helps reduce workers’ exposure to fumes, fine dust and physical strain. The robots were used on 80.1 percent of lunch service days over the past year, and 95.9 percent of surveyed students said the food tasted good. The upgraded system will be showcased at Smart Life Week 2026 at Coex.

Key Facts

The robot program began in August 2023 at Gaeil Elementary, Gaewon Middle and Seoul Robotics High School through cooperation among Gangnam District, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Korea Robotics.
Test data showed that cooking robots reduced kitchen staff exposure to harmful oil fumes and toxic fine dust by 28.6 percent, while musculoskeletal strain during deep-frying fell from level two to zero.
Gangnam District simplified the robot touchscreen interface in March and added an automated hot-oil drainage system in June.
The robots were used on 439 of 548 lunch service days across 693 meal-preparation cycles during the past year.
A first-half survey of 563 students found that 95.9 percent considered food prepared by the robots tasty.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Oct 6, 2026 2:26 pm KST

Upgraded safety features cut workload strain as students applaud cafeteria food

A robotic cooking assistant at work inside a school kitchen in Gangnam District, southern Seoul / Courtesy of Gangnam District Office

The newest assistant in Seoul’s school kitchens doesn't take lunch breaks, doesn't mind the steam and automatically drains boiling grease after deep-frying. And according to local students, its cooking is a hit.

Gangnam District in southern Seoul said Tuesday that its ongoing school meal robot program has undergone major upgrades based on feedback from school kitchen staff. The automated cooking system, first installed in August 2023 across three local schools — Gaeil Elementary, Gaewon Middle and Seoul Robotics High School — is proving that human-robot collaboration can transform high-stress workplaces.

Originally launched as a pilot program with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Korea Robotics — a local firm specializing in kitchen automation — the system pairs collaborative robotic arms with custom control software and heavy-duty cooking kettles. Rather than replacing kitchen staff, these mechanical assistants handle the most physically demanding tasks, from deep-frying to stirring large vats of soup and stir-fries.

The safety improvements have been substantial.

Previous test data showed that introducing cooking robots reduced kitchen staff exposure to harmful oil fumes and toxic fine dust by 28.6 percent. During deep-frying tasks, physical strain on workers' musculoskeletal systems dropped from a severe level two down to zero.

To refine the technology, Gangnam District rolled out two key enhancements this year. In March, officials simplified the robot’s touch-screen control interface so staff could easily troubleshoot temporary pauses. In June, developers added an automated hot oil drainage system. Previously, workers had to wait for scalding oil to cool before scooping it out manually. The new system automatically drains hot grease after frying, significantly cutting down working time and eliminating burn risks.

Over the past year, the three schools utilized the cooking robots on 439 out of 548 total lunch service days — an 80.1 percent utilization rate across 693 meal preparation cycles, according to the Gangnam District Office.

The initiative has also won over its toughest critics: the students.

In a survey conducted during the first half of this year involving 563 students across the three schools, 95.9 percent reported that the food prepared by the robots tasted good. While students cannot directly watch the robots in action behind kitchen doors, fascination with automated cooking remains high, with children requesting future robot-made menus ranging from fried chicken to sushi, the district office said.

"We didn't just stop at introducing cooking robots. We continuously upgrade them based on direct feedback from kitchen staff," said Kim Hyun-ki, mayor of Gangnam District. "We will keep refining these essential features to ease physical burdens and create safer cafeteria environments."

The district said it will showcase its upgraded school meal robots and operational data at the Smart Life Week 2026 exhibition at Coex in southern Seoul, running through Thursday.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

Upgraded safety features cut workload strain as students applaud cafeteria food

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