With the national average price of gasoline topping 2,000 won per liter (L), more consumers are turning to Onnuri gift certificates to ease fuel costs. Thanks to discounted fueling and income tax deductions, they are drawing attention as a "high oil price savings tool," but it turns out that in Seoul there is only one gas station where you can actually pay with Onnuri gift certificates.
According to the Small Enterprise and Market Service on the 24th, only one gas station in Seoul is registered as an Onnuri gift certificate affiliate. Among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide, Seoul is the biggest consumer market and has many drivers, but in effect, paying at gas stations with Onnuri gift certificates is virtually impossible.
Gyeonggi Province also had only six gas stations affiliated with Onnuri gift certificates. Incheon had none. Across the entire greater Seoul area, there were only seven gas stations where Onnuri gift certificates could be used.
The situation is similar nationwide. There are 150 gas stations affiliated with Onnuri gift certificates across the country, which is 1.4% of the 10,370 total gas stations as of the end of March this year. This means that at more than 98 out of 100 gas stations, you cannot use Onnuri gift certificates.
The regional concentration was also stark. Of the 150 nationwide, 109 (72.7%) were clustered in Gwangju Metropolitan City. They were followed by 11 in South Jeolla and 10 in North Gyeongsang. There were none in Daejeon, Busan, Ulsan, or Gangwon.
Onnuri gift certificates are issued by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service. Digital Onnuri gift certificates can be charged at a 7% discount within a monthly limit of 1 million won, and up to 40% of the amount used is eligible for income tax deductions.
As international oil prices have risen recently and fueling costs have grown, information has spread online that "you can save on fuel costs by paying with Onnuri gift certificates," and even a map called "Onnuri Fuel Map" has appeared to show where they can be used.
But the system has clear limits. Onnuri gift certificates are designed to be used mainly at stores in traditional markets, shopping streets, and commercial revitalization zones. Gas stations, which require large sites, have difficulty even registering as affiliates.
For a gas station to become an Onnuri gift certificate affiliate, it is advantageous to be included in a "alley-type shopping street" designated by a local government. However, alley-type shopping streets are typically designated only where 15 to 30 or more small-business stores are concentrated within an area of up to 2,000 square meters (about 605 pyeong). Gas stations require at least 90 square meters (about 2.7 pyeong) of fueling space, and many also include car wash and maintenance facilities, making it hard to meet the density requirement.
Gwangju Metropolitan City is cited as an exception. That is the result of Gwangju easing the designation requirements for alley-type shopping streets since last year and encouraging gas stations to join as Onnuri gift certificate affiliates.
Going forward, the number of gas stations where Onnuri gift certificates can be used may shrink further. The government has given advance notice of legislation to revise the enforcement decree of the Traditional Market Act to limit Onnuri gift certificate affiliates to those with annual sales of 3 billion won or less. The decree is set to take effect on Jun. 17, together with the enforcement of the higher law
Because fuel unit prices are high, gas stations post large sales figures regardless of actual profit. When international oil prices rise, sales increase even if the volume sold is the same. The industry estimates that about six out of 10 gas stations nationwide have annual sales of 3 billion won or more.
The government's "high oil price relief fund"—up to 600,000 won per person for the bottom 70% by income—also looks likely to be usable only at a limited number of gas stations. That is because the aid can be used only at small-business outlets with annual sales of 3 billion won or less. Most gas stations with large sales, including those directly operated by big companies, are excluded. In other words, even if people receive aid due to high oil prices, there will not be many gas stations where they can actually fill up.