The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said on the 29th that it will promote a "mutual-benefit consumer lottery" event and a digital Onnuri gift certificate refund program as part of the large-scale consumer festival "Korea Grand Festival."
The event was planned to boost domestic demand through increased consumption and seek economic growth. The mutual-benefit consumer lottery will be offered based on the accumulated amount of card payments spent at traditional markets and small-business stores from today through Nov. 9. During the event period, one entry will be given for every 50,000 won in accumulated payments, up to 10 entries for up to 500,000 won in spending.
Prizes will be paid in digital Onnuri gift certificates. The total is 2 billion won, including 20 first-prize winners (200 million won each), 40 second-prize winners (20 million won each), 1,140 third-prize winners (10 million won each), and 3,800 fourth-prize winners (1 million won each). First-prize winners will be drawn from applicants who have card spending outside the Seoul metropolitan area.
People living in the Seoul metropolitan area are also eligible for the first prize if they have at least one card payment of 50,000 won or more at traditional markets and small-business stores outside the metropolitan area during the event period. Winners from second to fourth prizes will be selected based on card spending nationwide without regional distinction, and duplicate wins are not allowed.
For the mutual-benefit consumer lottery, a single application through the Mutual Benefit Payback website will automatically provide entries based on card spending at traditional markets and small-business stores during the event period. The application period runs through Nov. 9.
Winners of the mutual-benefit consumer lottery will be announced in early December after a fair drawing process. Individual winners will also be notified. Prizes will be paid in December as digital Onnuri gift certificates through the digital Onnuri gift certificate application (app).
The digital Onnuri gift certificate refund program will run once for 12 days from the 29th through Nov. 9. Consumers who pay with digital Onnuri gift certificates (mobile or card type) will receive a refund of 5%–15% of their accumulated payment amount in the same digital Onnuri gift certificates.
The refund rates are 5% in the Seoul metropolitan area, 10% outside the metropolitan area, and 15% in 101 designated special disaster areas and rural depopulation areas. The refund caps are 10,000 won in the metropolitan area, 15,000 won outside the metropolitan area, and 20,000 won in special areas.
An official at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "Payments made with digital Onnuri gift certificates received through the Mutual Benefit Payback will not be recognized as eligible spending for this refund program," and added, "Refund amounts for the metropolitan, non-metropolitan, and special areas are calculated separately, and duplicate refunds are possible if there is spending that meets the minimum payment requirement in each of the three categories."