The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on ordinary citizens. In South Korea, hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs from February to April. The national government is well aware of this and thus they have setup a special budget for the “Disaster Relief Fund” or 긴급재난지원금 (“kin-geup-jae-nan-ji-won-geum”) in Korean.
Who can apply for the national disaster relief fund?
Korean citizens, foreigners with F-5 and F-6 visa are the beneficiaries of this disaster relief fund. The application started on May 11, 2020 both online and offline – at the 동사무서 or village office from May 18.
Online application is based on the last digit of the applicant’s (head of the household) birth year as follows:
| Apply on | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Sat, Sun |
| Last digit of birth year | 1, 6 | 2, 7 | 3, 8 | 4, 9 | 5, 0 | All |
How much is allocated for each family?
Around 2,171,000 households are expected to get the disaster relief fund. The amount that each receives will depend on the number of family members:
| Members | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Level of support | 400,000 | 600,000 | 800,000 | 1,000,000 |
Each household is entitled to this fund regardless of their income or assets. However, they may decide to donate the fund to the government instead.
The fund can be received through a credit card, cash card, or gift cards. It cannot be exchanged for cash.
Where to use
The fund may be used at the following establishments:
Traditional markets, neighborhood marts, gas stations, restaurants, coffee shops, bakery, convenience stores, hospitals, pharmacies, hair salon, eye glass shops, book stores, stationery shops, academies.
Restrictions on spending
The government has setup restrictions on how a family can spend the fund. It is recommended to use the funds at small businesses. They may not be used at the following places:
| Industry | Brand | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supermarkets | Homeplus (Express), Lotte Mart (Lotte Super), Emart (Traders, Everyday) |
| 2 | Department Stores | Shinsegae, Lotte, Hyundai, New Core |
| 3 | E-commerce sites | Online shopping malls, delivery apps |
| 4 | Electronics shops | Hi-mart, E-Land, Samsung Digital, LG Best Shop |
| 5 | Entertainment | Bars, night clubs, golf clubs, screen golf, noraebang, massage, casino, and the likes |
| 6 | Gift cards | Gift cards sellers |
| 7 | Jewelry | Jewelry shops |
| 8 | Tax | Income tax, citizen tax |
| 9 | Duty free | Duty free shops |
| 10 | Insurance | Four basic insurance |
| 11 | Others | Transportation, telecom |
*For detailed usage restrictions (brands), contact the card company’s website and the card company’s call center (may vary depending on the type of industry classification by card company)
The fund is available 1-3 days after application. It may be used until August 31, 2020 or the remaining amount will be donated to a government fund.
To apply online: https://www.xn--jj0bb2kr6h965bxcbp8g.kr/
