Vice Minister Kim Min-jae Inspects Local Centers Ahead of High Oil Price Relief Payments

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said April 24 that Vice Minister Kim Min-jae visited Seoul’s Jongno district to closely review preparations and hear difficulties from the field ahead of the start of first-round payments for high oil price relief assistance on April 27.

Kim, who led the inspection, went to the Sungin 2-dong community center to check whether arrangements were in place so applicants would not face inconvenience, and he encouraged local government staff handling the work.

He checked whether there were enough prepaid cards for distribution and whether the card design could reveal whether a recipient is part of a vulnerable group. He urged careful attention throughout the process to prevent inconvenience for residents.

Kim also asked the center to secure sufficient indoor waiting space, noting that many in-person visitors are older people who have difficulty applying online. As the first round targets vulnerable groups, he called for close management to ensure no one is left out.

After hearing concerns such as heavier workloads from accepting offline applications, the ministry said it would strengthen publicity and guidance to further expand use of the simpler online application process.

“To ensure people can receive the high oil price relief payments without inconvenience, the ministry and local governments must work closely to make thorough preparations and build a rapid response system,” Kim said. He added that, based on last year’s experience successfully completing the consumer coupon program for livelihood recovery as “One-Team,” officials would fully apply that know-how and capacity to be fully prepared. 



* This article has been translated by AI.

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