On the first day of applications for high oil price damage support payments, 552,900 people applied nationwide. That is 17% of all eligible recipients (3,227,785), and 316 billion won was paid to them.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the application status for high oil price damage support payments with these details.
By method of receipt, prepaid cards were the most common at 229,826 people. They were followed by credit/debit cards (198,572), mobile/card local love gift certificates at 92,739, and paper local love gift certificates at 31,763.
By region, South Jeolla had the highest application rate at 32%. Of 141,255 eligible recipients in South Jeolla, 45,550 applied on the first day. The payment amount is 26.7 billion won.
They were followed by North Jeolla (25%), Gwangju, Ulsan, South Chungcheong, and North Gyeongsang (19%).
Seoul had the largest number of payments and applicants. Of 523,922 eligible recipients, 86,418 (16%) applied. The payment amount is 46.8 billion won.
They were followed by Gyeonggi (46.6 billion won), Busan (29.7 billion won), South Jeolla (26.7 billion won), and South Gyeongsang (24.3 billion won).
The high oil price damage support payments provide 100,000 to 600,000 won per person to ease public burdens from high oil prices and high inflation caused by the Middle East war. The program targets the bottom 70% by income and provides support based on income level and regional preference principles.
By May 8, 550,000 won will be paid to basic livelihood security recipients, and 450,000 won to those just above the threshold and single parents. Those living outside the greater Seoul area and in population-declining regions will receive an additional 50,000 won per person. To prevent crowding and system overload in the first week of applications, a day-of-week system based on the last digit of the birth year will be applied.