Chungcheongbuk-do said on the 20th that applications and payments for the "first round of high oil price relief funds" will begin on the 27th.
The first-round recipients are vulnerable residents living in the province, totaling 100,891 people. The support amount is 600,000 won per person for basic livelihood security recipients, and 500,000 won for near-poverty households and single-parent families.
Applications and payments for the relief funds will run for two weeks from the 27th of this month to May 8. They can be made online through each card company's website and application (app) and the local gift certificate app, and offline at community service centers and bank branches affiliated with card companies.
Chungcheongbuk-do will apply a "day-of-week system" based on the last digit of the birth year during the first week of applications, Apr. 27–30, to prevent congestion at service counters. Monday is for last digits 1 and 6, Tuesday for 2 and 7, Wednesday for 3 and 8, and Thursday for 4, 9, 5, and 0. Starting May 1, the day-of-week system will be lifted and anyone can apply.
In line with the purpose of revitalizing the local economy, the high oil price relief funds can be used at affiliated merchants of small business owners and the self-employed within the province. Local gift certificates can be used at affiliated merchants with annual sales of 3 billion won or less, and credit/debit cards and prepaid cards can be used in sectors such as small business categories with annual sales of 3 billion won or less. Entertainment and gambling-related businesses and cash-equivalent sectors are excluded from eligible use.
The relief funds must be fully used by Aug. 31.
Lee Bok-won, vice governor for economic affairs of Chungcheongbuk-do, said, "We will do our best in disbursement so that residents can all receive the relief funds within the deadline without omission, helping both the household and the local economy."
Meanwhile, the second round of relief funds for the general public is scheduled to begin disbursement on May 18. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is working to finalize the list of second-round recipients based on health insurance premiums and other criteria. Chungcheongbuk-do plans to provide differentiated relief funds of 150,000–250,000 won by city and county as soon as the list is secured.