High Oil Price Relief Payments to Vulnerable Groups Start on the 27th, General Public from May 18

The Financial News – High oil price relief payments of 100,000 to 600,000 won per person will be provided to 70% of the population starting on the 27th. Vulnerable groups will receive the payments first this month, and the second round for the general public will begin on May 18.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung held a joint briefing with related ministries at Government Complex Seoul on the 11th and announced the payment plan.
The payments will be made in two rounds. The first round, for vulnerable groups, will run from April 27 to May 8. The second round will be carried out from May 18 to July 3.
The first round of payments will go to vulnerable groups as a priority. Basic livelihood security recipients will receive 550,000 won per person, while near-poverty households and single-parent families will receive 450,000 won. Those living outside the Seoul metropolitan area will get an additional 50,000 won, for a maximum of 600,000 won.
The second round will provide differentiated amounts to vulnerable groups who could not apply during the first period and to the bottom 70% of income earners, selected through an income screening process. Residents in the Seoul metropolitan area will receive 100,000 won, those outside the metropolitan area 150,000 won, residents in priority support areas with population decline 200,000 won, and those in special support areas 250,000 won.
The government will use health insurance premiums as the main criterion to determine eligibility, while also preparing separate standards to exclude high-asset households. It plans to announce the final selection criteria in May.
Applications will be accepted both online and offline. People can apply through credit card company websites and apps, as well as local gift certificate apps. Applications will also be accepted at eup/myeon/dong community service centers and bank branches.
Adults born on or before December 31, 2007 can apply individually. For minors, the head of household listed on the resident registration is, in principle, required to apply and receive the payment on their behalf. However, in households where there is no adult member, a minor who is the head of household may exceptionally apply directly.
To ease congestion during the first week of implementation, an odd-even system based on the last digit of the birth year will be applied.
Applications must be filed with the local government that has jurisdiction over the address on the resident registration as of the reference date, and the payments can only be used within the metropolitan city, special city, or city/county where the recipient’s address is registered.
Spending will be limited to small business outlets with annual sales of 3 billion won or less. The payments can be used at traditional markets, neighborhood supermarkets, restaurants, hair salons, optical shops, private lesson institutes, and academies. In areas such as township-level regions where distribution infrastructure is lacking, some Nonghyup Hanaro Mart stores have also been included for the convenience of residents. In addition, local consumer cooperatives and The Beautiful Store Foundation will be eligible regardless of their sales volume.
By contrast, the payments cannot be used at online shopping malls, delivery apps, entertainment and gambling-related businesses, or cash-convertible businesses. However, in the case of delivery apps, they can be used if payment is made face-to-face via the merchant’s own terminal, using a "pay on delivery" method.
The relief payments must be used by August 31. Any remaining balance after that date will expire.
Those who disagree with the eligibility decision or the amount granted may file an objection between May 18 and July 17. Objections can be submitted through e-People or at eup/myeon/dong community service centers. However, matters that do not change eligibility—such as adjustments to child support relationships, applications filed directly by minors, or moves between the metropolitan area and non-metropolitan regions—may be contested even during the first payment period (April 27–May 8).
The detailed selection criteria for the 70% of the population eligible for the second round will be announced separately in May. The government will primarily use health insurance premiums to determine eligibility, while also reviewing additional criteria to exclude high-asset households that cannot be identified by premiums alone. Based on this, the final scope of beneficiaries is expected to be confirmed within this month.
Ahead of the payments, the government also warned the public to be cautious about smishing scams. MOIS stated that government agencies, credit card companies, and local gift certificate operators will not send any text messages containing URLs or internet links regarding the relief payments. It stressed that if people receive messages that prompt them to click a link, they should not access it and should delete the message immediately.
At the briefing, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung said, "In this grave emergency economic situation, fiscal policy must serve as a breakwater to protect the livelihoods of ordinary people," adding, "We will do everything we can to ensure that the high oil price relief payments become a pillar that supports low- and middle-income households against the economic shock caused by the war in the Middle East."
spring@fnnews.com Lee Bomi Reporter