It was reported on the 22nd that a number of local governments are issuing consumer recovery coupons for basic livelihood recipients in the form of prepaid cards with specific amounts printed on them, leading the recipients to lament that "it is uncomfortable as the fact that they are recipients is revealed."

A citizen in Busan, who received the consumer recovery coupon prepaid card on the 21st, posted a photo online showing the card's top with '₩430,000' printed on it. This citizen said, "It openly displays that I am a basic livelihood recipient" and asked, "Why do they have to embarrass us by printing the recharge amount?" A considerable number of local governments including those in Gyeongnam, Chungnam, and Gangwon are issuing the same type of prepaid cards.

The prepaid card for the livelihood recovery consumption coupon provided by Busan City. The upper right corner shows '430,000 won', '180,000 won', etc. /Courtesy of internet community capture

The problem is that looking at the amount printed on the prepaid card reveals which social class the person belongs to. The first round of consumer recovery coupons provides a basic amount of 150,000 won (with an additional 30,000 or 50,000 won depending on the region) to the general public; however, those in the lower-middle class or single-parent families receive 300,000 won (with an additional 30,000 or 50,000 won depending on the region), and basic livelihood recipients receive 400,000 won (with an additional 30,000 or 50,000 won depending on the region).

Ms. Lee (55), a basic livelihood recipient living in Seoul, said, "Every time I use the consumer coupon, it inevitably shows that I am a recipient," adding, "Isn't there a lack of consideration from the administration?"

A basic livelihood recipient, who requested anonymity, also said, "It's no different from being branded as a vulnerable group," and expressed hope that "care would be taken to avoid such inconveniences."

In response, a local government official noted, "We prepared prepaid cards with amounts of 180,000 won, 330,000 won, and 430,000 won preloaded and handed them out immediately," explaining, "We used this method to distribute them quickly on-site without confusion."

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Kyu-yun Chul visits the Sangseong Market in Gongju, Chungnam on the afternoon of the 21st, checking the use of consumption coupons at fruit shops and holding up the card of a citizen who comes to buy fruits with the consumption coupons on the first day of implementation. /Courtesy of News1

In contrast, the Seoul city government does not print amounts on the consumer recovery coupon prepaid cards. A city official stated, "We apply a method where the amounts are charged to the prepaid card after reviewing the application details on-site," adding, "We did not write the amount on the card."

Many local governments do not issue consumer recovery coupons as prepaid cards. This includes some local governments belonging to Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, Jeju, as well as Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonnam, and Gyeongbuk.

An Incheon city official mentioned, "We handle local love gift certificates that have the same functionality as prepaid cards," noting, "Considering the side effects, such as the risk of illegal resale in the market due to the lack of named cards for the COVID disaster relief fund, or the risk of loss when holding large amounts of securities at the district office."

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