Decline in Group Tourism and Soaring Fuel Prices: Jeju to Provide Up to 1 Million Won in Support for Chartered Bus Workers

For 1,850 Transportation and Office Workers in Jeju Province
In-Person Applications Accepted from July 8 to 24
Addressing the Gap Left by Fuel Subsidy Exclusion

Despite severe financial difficulties caused by a decline in group tourists and rising fuel prices, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will begin accepting applications for a package program to support employment stability for 1,850 chartered bus workers in the province, who have been hit hard by income losses because, unlike route buses or cargo trucks, they are excluded from fuel subsidy programs. In collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s public project, the 'Butim-Eum Project,' the province will provide up to 1 million won per person in employment stabilization funds, with applications officially opening on July 8.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Government Building.

According to Jeju Province on July 1, the total support under the 'Jeju Chartered Bus Industry Employment Stability Package Support Project' will cover 1,750 transportation workers and 100 office workers, for a total of 1,850 people. Eligible applicants are employees of chartered bus companies that have their main office within Jeju and are operating normally as of the announcement date.

For transportation workers, they must be listed in the Korea Transportation Safety Authority’s registration and must have verifiable records of operating for at least 10 days in a single month between March and May of this year. For office workers, employment must be proven through their employment insurance records as employees of the relevant company.

The support funds will be disbursed in two installments. First, all eligible transportation and office workers will receive a uniform payment of 500,000 won. Then, based on factors such as national health insurance contributions and actual days worked, an additional differentiated amount ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 won will be provided to transportation workers in the second round.

Applications can be submitted from July 8 to July 24, on weekdays between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., at the designated reception desk on the first floor of the Gyeongin Building, 13 Cheongsa-ro, Jeju City.

Both methods—companies submitting consolidated documents for their employees or individual employees applying directly—are permitted.

This injection of employment stabilization funds for chartered bus workers is seen as an effective policy response, as it proactively addresses a major gap in transportation welfare—one that was left unprotected by institutional fuel subsidies—using public funding, amid the dual challenges of shrinking tourism demand and rising fixed costs.

This measure reflects the administration's determination to prevent the loss of skilled workers in the chartered bus sector, which, unlike route buses, is classified as part of the private sector and must absorb cost shocks directly, and to maintain the foundation of Jeju’s tourism infrastructure.

However, there are analyses suggesting that, for policy sustainability, institutional incentive systems that encourage the chartered bus industry to adapt and improve its operations in line with the shift from group-focused tourism to small-scale customized tourism trends should be implemented alongside financial support, rather than relying on one-off cash payments.

Kang Aesook, Director of Economic Vitality for Jeju Province, stated, "The chartered bus industry is a foundational sector supporting the movement of tourists in Jeju, and employment stability for skilled transportation workers is directly linked to the stable operation of the tourism field. We will work closely with the industry to actively guide all workers in need of support so that no one is left out of the application process."

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