What the LUNCH CHOW LINE feeding scene meant

There's a dramatic scene after the successful route of the North Korean Army. The South Korean Army is revelling in its new-founded success and victory. The South Korean soldiers have the time AND the resources to enjoy a sumptuous American-style brunch where they are being served generous amounts of cooked eggs and bacon, both foods were relatively unknown to the Koreans.

Most Americans would not understand the big deal behind this scene. So what about showing South Korean soldiers (ROK) scarfing down and chowing down American-style breakfast foods like cooked eggs and bacon?

You have to know something about Asian history, Korean history, and the history of the Korean War of 1950-53.

It was a BIG DEAL for those ROK soldiers to enjoy such a feast. To the average Korean citizen of 1950, those ROK soldiers were eating like kings. That kind of food and its quality and quantity were unknown to the typical Korean person of the time period. Only the very wealthy could indulge in rich foods like that. It was a mind-boggling luxury for the Korean masses just to enjoy any form of meat. Eggs? While the Koreans knew of eggs, that too, was a luxury food in 1950. At that time the average Korean considered himself or herself lucky to have two rice balls a day. We Americans don't appreciate what it means to go hungry or what it means to have anything we want to eat in as much quantity as we desire.

Go out and buy a small rice cooker. Cook a pot of rice in it. Then set the pot down in front of yourself. You have all that rice to yourself. The typical Chinese, Japanese, or Korean of the time period would have thought you died and went to Heaven. The concept of eating as much rice as you want was something reserved only for the nobility, the very wealthy, high-ranking civil officials, and high-ranking military officers.