The Real Reason Highway Rest Area Udon Became So Expensive Finally Revealed

A bowl of shrimp tempura udon at a highway rest area costs 7,500 won. Forty percent of that price is not for the food, but for commissions. The true face of a 40-year cartel revealed by an audit of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is contained within this single bowl. [Photo = Korea Business Review DB] On May 7, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) officially announced the results of an audit into the operational adequacy of highway rest facilities, conducted since January of this year targeting the Korea Expressway Corporation (EX) and 'Dosunghoe,' an association of retired EX employees. The findings provided a structural and clear answer for the first time to the vague grievances that countless drivers have felt for decades—namely, the question of why rest area food is expensive and unpalatable. The issue went beyond simply high labor costs…