Donghae City Expands Donghae Pay Issuance to 100 Billion Won... Betting on Boosting Local Consumption

Donghae City in Gangwon Province will expand the issuance of its local currency, "Donghae Pay," by 30 billion won from the original 70 billion won to 100 billion won. This decision was made to further boost consumption in the second half of the year and to revitalize the local economy, as the issuance in the first half far exceeded the original target.

And the card. Provided by Donghae City

On July 13, Donghae City announced that the issuance of Donghae Pay in the first half of 2026 reached 48.2 billion won, surpassing the original target of 35 billion won by approximately 38%. Given the high usage rate among citizens and the positive effect on local consumption, the city decided to increase the issuance scale to 100 billion won for the second half of the year.

The city plans to provide stable incentives during peak consumption periods such as the Mureung Festival, Chuseok, and the year-end, aiming to increase citizens' purchasing power and further promote local spending.

To this end, a total budget of 10.5 billion won has been secured, including 3.3 billion won in national funding and 7.2 billion won from the city budget. The city will also inject additional municipal funds as needed to ensure financial stability and prevent the program from ending prematurely.

The incentive payment rate for the second half of the year will be operated flexibly depending on budget execution and payment performance. However, the monthly purchase limit will remain at 500,000 won per person, allowing for a maximum incentive of 100,000 won. The city expects this measure to help ease household burdens during holidays and the year-end, while also having a positive effect on local businesses.

In the first half of this year, local consumption through Donghae Pay amounted to 48.2 billion won. The city believes that expanding the issuance scale will act as a catalyst for increasing small business sales and fostering a virtuous cycle of local consumption.

Lee Jaeguk, Head of the Economic Affairs Division of Donghae City, stated, "Due to strong support from citizens, Donghae Pay is being used up faster than planned. We will do our utmost to boost consumption in the second half and inject vitality into the local economy by expanding the issuance scale."

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