Home > National > Social Affairs

Paju eyes 100,000 won stimulus payment for each city resident

Published: 26 Nov. 2025, 14:04 Updated: 26 Nov. 2025, 17:00

Paju City Hall in Paju, Gyeonggi, is seen in this undated file photo [YONHAP]

Paju said Tuesday it will push a plan to give 100,000 won ($70) to each resident early next year through its local currency, Paju Pay, as a “basic living and safety support grant.”

The city said it recently submitted a budget proposal for the program to the Paju City Council.

The project will cost 53.1 billion won. City officials said they secured funding through additional central government transfers, phased budgeting for large projects and more efficient management of city funds.

They said the plan will not harm the city’s fiscal health.

The city said high interest rates, inflation and employment instability continue to weigh on households and that small merchants and the self-employed still face difficult conditions.

It expects the immediate use of the grant to quickly encourage spending and help prevent a downturn in the local economy.

The city is considering distributing the grant around the Lunar New Year holiday, which runs from Feb. 16 to 18 in 2026, to maintain the momentum from the central government’s stimulus coupon program. It plans to finalize details after the city council approves the budget.

The Lee Jae Myung administration distributed consumer coupons to Koreans and some foreign residents across two handouts this year in what the government said was to boost domestic spending and revive the sluggish economy.

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 EUN-BIN [[email protected]]