Gyeonggi Province Sees 73.7% Application Rate for High Oil Price Damage Support Fund... Applications Open Until May 8

Gyeonggi Local Currency Application Rate Reaches 33%, Up from Last Year’s Livelihood Coupon Program
Offline Application Rate Also Rises Sharply to 42.3% Compared to Last Year

It has been tallied that 73% of eligible recipients for the first round of the Gyeonggi Province High Oil Price Damage Support Fund have applied.

According to Gyeonggi Province on May 4, a total of 466,625 applications had been received as of 24:00 on May 3, following the start of the first application period on April 27. This figure corresponds to 73.7% of the 632,767 people eligible for the first round of payments.

Notably, the application rate for Gyeonggi Local Currency is significantly higher than it was during last year's Livelihood Recovery Consumption Coupon program.

The number of Gyeonggi Local Currency payments reached 153,764, accounting for 33% of all payments made. This is higher than the 22.8% share of Gyeonggi Local Currency during last year's consumption coupon distribution.

Additionally, for this first round of High Oil Price Damage Support Fund payments, the proportion of offline applications made by visiting administrative welfare centers was also relatively high. Over the one-week payment period, the offline application rate was 42.3%, a significant increase compared to 13.8% during last year's consumption coupon distribution. This appears to reflect the characteristics of the first group of recipients, many of whom have difficulty applying online.

Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province and its 31 cities and counties will launch an on-site application window at township and neighborhood administrative welfare centers, and from May 4, will fully implement a "visiting application service" for residents with mobility difficulties. Dedicated public officials and local community leaders will visit households directly to provide one-stop support from application submission to guidance on receiving the funds.

Status of the First Application for Gyeonggi Province High Oil Price Damage Support Fund

The confirmed support fund can be used at small businesses in Gyeonggi Province with annual sales of 3 billion won or less, until August 31, 2026.

Going forward, Gyeonggi Province will continue to operate an on-site response system in cooperation with its cities and counties to minimize initial congestion and ensure that all eligible recipients receive their benefits. In addition, the province will enhance guidance and improve usability to encourage spending via Gyeonggi Local Currency, thereby boosting sales for local small businesses.

Meanwhile, applications for the High Oil Price Damage Support Fund can be submitted both online—through card company websites and mobile apps, as well as local gift certificate apps—and offline, by visiting the affiliated bank branches or the administrative welfare centers in the applicant's registered area. In principle, applications must be submitted by the recipient in person, but for minor children born after December 31, 2007, the head of household registered in the resident registration may apply on their behalf.

The second round of applications, targeting the general population in the bottom 70% income bracket, will begin on May 18. For further details, inquiries can be made by calling the 120 Gyeonggi Call Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.