With inflation pressures worsening amid the fallout from a war in the Middle East, the government will begin paying “high fuel price relief” this week to ease the burden on vulnerable residents.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said it will start accepting first-round applications at 9 a.m. on April 27 for basic livelihood recipients and other eligible groups. The first round targets those needing urgent social protection, including basic livelihood recipients, near-poverty households and single-parent families.
Payments are calculated per person, not per household. Basic livelihood recipients will receive 550,000 won per person, while near-poverty households and single-parent families will receive 450,000 won. Residents in non-capital areas or population-decline regions will receive an additional 50,000 won per person to support local economies, bringing the maximum to 600,000 won for those who qualify.
Applications will be accepted from April 27 through May 8. To reduce congestion and system overload, the government will use a day-of-week schedule during the first week (April 27-30) based on the last digit of an applicant’s birth year: Monday for 1 and 6, Tuesday for 2 and 7, and Wednesday for 3 and 8. On Thursday, April 30, applicants with last digits 4 and 9 and those with 5 and 0 may apply together, taking into account the May 1 Labor Day holiday.
Applications are available online and in person. Those who want the money credited to a credit or debit card can apply 24 hours a day through the websites, apps or call centers of nine card companies, or by visiting bank branches linked to those card companies. Those who want local gift certificates or prepaid cards can apply at their local eup, myeon or dong administrative welfare center. Payment methods may vary by local government, so applicants should check in advance.
For mobile or card-type local gift certificates, applicants can apply online through their local government’s local gift certificate app or website. Those seeking paper gift certificates or prepaid cards can apply and receive them at their local administrative welfare center, community service center, or eup or myeon office.
The support must be used by Aug. 31. To protect small businesses, spending is limited to affiliated merchants with annual sales of 3 billion won or less. It cannot be used at department stores, large discount chains, or adult entertainment and gambling-related businesses. Exceptions apply in rural eup and myeon areas with limited shopping options, including Hanaro Mart stores and local food direct-sale outlets, regardless of sales. The ministry said it plans to provide detailed information on eligible merchants through private map apps starting late this month.
Those who dispute eligibility or payment amounts may file objections from May 18 to July 17 through the government petition portal or administrative welfare centers. Eligible residents who miss the first-round window can apply during a second-round application period starting May 18. Inquiries can be made through the government civil service call center (110) or a dedicated call center.
Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung said he hopes the relief payments will provide “a solid support” for people struggling with high fuel prices, a weak currency and rising prices triggered by the Middle East war.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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