"Can Buy Mounjaro Cheaper" 26 Billion Won Spent in 6 Months... Government to Revise Onnuri Gift Certificate System

Pharmacy and Clinic, Top Two Destinations Just Five Minutes Apart
Discount Rate to Drop from 7% to 5%, Targeted Benefits Under Review

There is a growing trend of Onnuri Gift Certificates, which were introduced to support traditional markets and small businesses, being used in ways that do not align with their original policy intent.

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In the first half of this year, pharmacies and clinics that have gained notoriety for selling and prescribing the obesity medication 'Mounjaro' topped the list in Onnuri Gift Certificate transaction volumes. In response, the government plans to revise the system starting next year to concentrate benefits on traditional markets and local neighborhood businesses.

Onnuri Gift Certificates Intended to Help Small Businesses... Top Users Are Pharmacies and Hospitals

According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on September 29, the government intends to announce a reform plan early next month to strengthen the use incentives of Onnuri Gift Certificates in traditional markets and non-metropolitan areas.

Top 10 Places by Payment Amount Using Onnuri Gift Certificates. Office of Rep. Won-Ki Kim, Democratic Party of Korea

Although Onnuri Gift Certificates were introduced to support the sales of small businesses in traditional markets and neighborhood shopping districts, concerns have been raised that their effect has deviated from the original intent, as their usage has expanded to certain pharmacies, hospitals, supermarkets, and electronics stores.

In fact, during the first half of this year (January to June), pharmacies and hospitals ranked at the top of Onnuri Gift Certificate usage. According to data obtained from the Small Enterprise and Market Service by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Won-Ki Kim, the top user for Onnuri Gift Certificates in the first half was Pharmacy A in Seoul, with transactions amounting to 26 billion won. The second place was Clinic B, also in Seoul, with 10.2 billion won.

It is known that the two locations are about a five-minute walk apart. In particular, these two merchants became known as places where consumers could purchase or receive prescriptions for the obesity treatment 'Mounjaro' at relatively low prices, leading to a surge in customers using Onnuri Gift Certificates.

Among the top 10 merchants, liquor shops also stood out. The fifth, seventh, and tenth places were occupied by supermarkets famous for their wine selections, each recording Onnuri Gift Certificate transactions of 5.7 billion won, 5.6 billion won, and 4.7 billion won, respectively. In third place was Confectionery C in Daejeon (6.6 billion won).

Criteria for Merchants Have Been Strengthened, but Existing Merchants Remain for the Time Being

Previously, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups had already taken measures to strengthen criteria for Onnuri Gift Certificate merchant management.

Under the revised rules implemented on June 17, stores with annual sales exceeding 3 billion won, as well as certain businesses such as hospitals and clinics, have been restricted from registering as Onnuri Gift Certificate merchants. Penalties for improper distribution have also been strengthened.

A person holding Onnuri gift certificates in the market. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

However, merchants registered before the enforcement of these changes can continue to accept Onnuri Gift Certificates until their next renewal, so the benefits for existing merchants will persist for the time being.

Despite these measures, cases of benefits being concentrated at large pharmacies and liquor stores continue to occur, prompting the government to consider focusing Onnuri Gift Certificate benefits on traditional markets and local neighborhood businesses starting next year.

Discount Rate from 7% to 5%...Additional Refunds for Traditional Markets Under Review

One proposal is to lower the base discount rate for Onnuri Gift Certificates from the current 7% to 5%, while providing additional refund benefits for usage in policy-prioritized locations such as traditional markets.

A citizen is holding an Onnuri Gift Certificate at Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

There is also discussion of expanding the scale of additional refunds up to double the current amount. Plans are being considered to offer extra tourism-related benefits in non-metropolitan regions by working together with local governments when Onnuri Gift Certificates are used.

With this shift in support methods, the issuance target for Onnuri Gift Certificates next year is expected to decrease compared to this year. According to the '2027 Budget and Fund Operation Plan' submitted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to the National Assembly, the issuance target for next year is 4.6 trillion won, a reduction of 900 billion won from this year.

An official from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stated, "This year, we provided benefits uniformly, but next year, by targeting consumers in local areas and traditional markets, we have reduced the budget. The overall budget for supporting business districts remains similar, as we have increased funding for revitalizing traditional markets and infrastructure improvement."

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