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Government to distribute second round of consumer coupons

Published: 21 Sep. 2025, 16:24

Gift boxes for Chuseok pile up at Cheongnyangni traditional market in eastern Seoul on Sept. 21. [YONHAP]

The Korean government will roll out the second round of consumer coupons starting Monday, providing 100,000 won ($71) each to households in the bottom 90 percent of the income bracket, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Sunday.

Eligibility depends on National Health Insurance contributions from June. For single-earner workplace subscribers, the monthly cutoff is 220,000 won for one person, 330,000 won for two, 420,000 won for three and 510,000 won for four. For self-employed people, the cutoff is 220,000 won for one, 310,000 won for two, 390,000 won for three and 500,000 won for four.

Households do not qualify if their combined property tax base exceeded 1.2 billion won last year or if financial income topped 20 million won. People can check their eligibility through the National Health Insurance Service website or app, on their card issuer’s website or app, or at local community centers and bank branches.

During the first week, a weekday roster applies by the final digit of the birth year. Those born in years ending in 1 or 6 may apply on Monday, 2 or 7 on Tuesday, 3 or 8 on Wednesday, 4 or 9 on Thursday and 5 or 0 on Friday.

Anyone may apply online over the weekend. Those who wish to contest their eligibility can file an appeal on the e-People website or at the administrative welfare center in their registered district. Appeals follow the same weekday roster during the first week, meaning people may only file objections on the day assigned to the last digit of their birth year.

Disputes over health insurance contributions require a separate adjustment request. For employees, the workplace files the request with the National Health Insurance Service. Self-employed subscribers can file at a local NHIS branch or online.

A notice stating that consumer coupons can be used is posted at Cheongnyangni traditional market in eastern Seoul on Sept. 21, a day before the government begins distributing the second round of the program. [YONHAP]

Recipients may choose to receive the coupon on a credit or debit card, a prepaid card or a local gift certificate.

Credit and debit card applicants can apply through their card issuer’s website, app, call center or affiliated bank branch. Applications are also possible through payment apps such as Kbank, KakaoBank and Toss. Local governments handle applications for mobile or card-type gift certificates, while prepaid or paper-type certificates can be collected on site at community centers with an ID.

Members of the military may apply at a community center near their duty station instead of at their registered home address. Applications run through Oct. 31, and coupons must be used by Nov. 30.

People in metropolitan cities must use the benefit locally, while those in provincial areas must spend it in their registered city or county.

Coupons loaded on credit, debit or prepaid cards can be used at small businesses with annual sales of 3 billion won or less, excluding adult entertainment venues, department stores and big-box marts. Exceptions include certain Nonghyup Hanaro Marts and local food direct-sale outlets in rural areas, as well as consumer co-op stores whose corporate and store addresses match.

“Apply by Oct. 31 to receive the coupon and spend it by Nov. 30,” Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-WOOK [[email protected]]