On the morning of the 23rd, near Gajwa Station in Seoul, signs indicating that 'living consumption coupons are accepted' were attached to the windows of restaurants, pharmacies, clothing stores, and optical shops. Among the crowd, citizens were seen closely observing these signs. Conversations were exchanged to confirm where they could be used.
Moon Young-mi (46), who runs a women's clothing store, said, "Business is bad, the weather is hot, and with heavy rain, sales have been at their worst. I hope the consumption coupons will be a blessing. I wish customers would shop freely without hesitation."
Lee Mo-kyung (34), who runs a pharmacy, noted, "Since the consumption coupons have been issued, there are quite a few customers coming to buy fatigue recovery supplements and vitamins." She added, "Considering additional issuance, I think this time it will be quite rewarding."
Since the 21st, the issuance and application for the 14 trillion won 'living recovery consumption coupons' has begun, with retailers and the restaurant industry, as well as local clinics, laundries, gyms, pharmacies, and other closely related businesses all moving to capitalize on the 'coupon boom'. The consumption coupons can be used at small businesses with annual sales of less than 3 billion won, excluding large supermarkets, department stores, and entertainment establishments.
The franchise industry is actively promoting the fact that they are 'coupon-accepting stores.' Theborn Korea has attached notices indicating coupon acceptance at more than 20 major restaurant brand franchises, including Baekdabang, Saemaul Restaurant, and Hong Kong Banjeom. No Brand Burger is running a 'Wafemo Day' promotion until the 27th, where purchasing a promotional burger set through their app (NBB) will get you an additional single burger.
Delivery app corporations have also joined in by encouraging in-person payments. The consumption coupons can only be used when paid at the restaurant with a card reader. Baemin has prominently placed the 'meet to pay' feature on the main screen of the app, and Yogiyo has updated features to help consumers easily check which stores accept coupons.
The convenience store sector has entered discount campaigns. GS25 has significantly increased the supply of premium fresh foods such as Korean beef, flower ribs, eel, abalone, and apples, targeting the demand for consumption coupons. They are selling 10 abalones from Wando and 300g of freshwater eel for 19,900 won each. CU is offering discounts of up to 50% on instant noodles and rice, while 7-Eleven is selling some instant noodles and ice cream as part of a '1+1' event until the end of next month.
The furniture and fashion industries have also shifted into 'consumption coupon mode.' ACE BED is making coupons available at 115 locations nationwide and is also running special discount events aimed at newlywed demands. The outdoor brand K2 is conducting a promotion until the 17th of next month, allowing discounts of up to 105,000 won based on purchase amounts.
Hyungji, which operates over 1,500 stores, including Crocodile and Chattiren, has strengthened its discount events targeting the coupon boom. A representative from Hyungji stated, "During the previous disaster relief fund distribution, sales at street stores surged by 80-90% compared to the previous month."
Industries closely related to daily life are also joining in. Some gyms are informing customers about the use of consumption coupons during membership payments, while local clinics, dental offices, traditional medicine clinics, pharmacies, and optical shops are accepting coupon payments only if they meet sales requirements. The laundry company Clean Topia has started a 10% discount promotion for certain items at its franchise stores.
Small business owners are proactively sending promotional messages to prepare for 'coupon customers.' Park Jung-cheol (50), who operates a gym in Mapo-gu, Seoul, said, "As soon as the consumption coupon usage started, two people used it to pay for their membership within a day." He added, "This kind of policy is something that small business owners can feel the effects of immediately."
Consumers have also begun to utilize consumption coupons in various aspects of daily life. They are being used not just for dining out but also for deferred treatments, vaccinations, and hobbies. College student Yoo Bora (22) said, "I received text messages affirming that coupons can be used at my hospital and optical shop," and added, "After some thought, I decided to use it for the cost of the Gardasil vaccine."
However, there are many who are confused about where the coupons can be used. Confusion between franchised and directly operated stores is a common issue. For stores like Olive Young and Daiso, they can only be used at certain franchises that accept about 30% of the total. An employee at Daiso Gajwa told a customer, "Despite posting a notice that consumption coupons are not accepted in front of the store, there are still customers asking if they can use them."
Meanwhile, as of midnight on the 22nd, just two days after the initial application opened, 14.28 million people, or 28.2% of the total eligible recipients, have applied for the living consumption coupons. The amount issued reached 2.5856 trillion won. The government plans to strengthen regulations to prevent misuse. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has warned that illegal exchanges of coupons or issuing fake receipts could lead to recovery of the coupons, as well as potential imprisonment of up to three years or fines.