Gwangju City Provides Up to 1 Million Won Emergency Living Expenses to Households Affected by COVID-19

Announcement of the 3rd Livelihood Stabilization Measures to Protect Local Economy from COVID-19

Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop announced the "3rd Regional Economy Protection and Livelihood Stabilization Measures" on the 23rd, which includes support measures for the Gwangju-type 3 major emergency living expenses for households affected by COVID-19 and the unemployed. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City will provide emergency living expenses of up to 1 million KRW per affected household to stabilize the lives of citizens who lost their jobs or are struggling to make a living due to COVID-19 and to revitalize the local economy.

On the morning of the 23rd, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced the “Gwangju-type 3 Major Emergency Living Expense Support” measures for COVID-19 affected households and unemployed individuals as part of the “3rd Livelihood Stabilization Measures to Protect the Local Economy” at a briefing room in City Hall.

First, the city will provide “Household Emergency Living Expenses” ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 KRW to households with income below 100% of the median income.

The support targets approximately 260,000 households (41.9%) out of the total 618,500 households in the Gwangju area, with support amounts of ▲300,000 KRW for 1-2 person households ▲400,000 KRW for 3-4 person households ▲500,000 KRW for households with 5 or more members.

The support funds will be paid via the prepaid Gwangju Sangsaeng Card, a local currency usable only within Gwangju to promote the local economy, and must be used within three months from the payment date.

Applications for support can be submitted starting next month by visiting the resident autonomy centers based on resident registration or online through a dedicated banner on the Gwangju city website. The Happiness e-um system (Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Social Security Integrated Information System) will verify household income amounts, and payments will be made as quickly as possible to eligible households.

Additionally, since the first COVID-19 confirmed case in the city on the 3rd of last month, the city will provide up to 500,000 KRW per month for two months in living expenses to low-income special employment workers whose income has significantly decreased.

The eligible recipients include insurance planners, construction machinery operators, private tutors, loan solicitors, credit card solicitors, designated drivers, and special employment workers in education, leisure, and transportation sectors.

Those who submit proof that they were unable to work due to COVID-19 can receive living expenses based on 25,000 KRW per day or the amount of income reduction, up to 500,000 KRW per month for two months.

Applications for this support can be submitted from the 13th of next month at resident autonomy centers based on resident registration, considering the timing of the household emergency living expenses payment. The support funds will be paid via the prepaid Gwangju Sangsaeng Card, usable only within Gwangju, and must be used within three months from the payment date.

Gwangju City will also provide up to 1 million KRW in living expenses to low-income workers who have lost their jobs or are on unpaid leave due to COVID-19 at workplaces with fewer than 100 employees since the first confirmed case in the city.

Eligible recipients who submit proof of unemployment or unpaid leave can receive living expenses based on 25,000 KRW per day, up to 500,000 KRW per month for two months.

Applications can be submitted from the 13th of next month at resident autonomy centers based on resident registration. The support funds will be paid via the prepaid Gwangju Sangsaeng Card, usable only within Gwangju, and must be used within three months from the payment date.

However, recipients of unemployment benefits, those hospitalized or quarantined under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, and those receiving special employment living expense support are excluded from overlapping support.

This “Gwangju-type 3 Major Emergency Living Expense Support” aims to provide practical benefits to citizens who have been directly affected by COVID-19 but have fallen into blind spots of existing support systems and are struggling to make a living. The city plans to invest a total budget of 110 billion KRW, sourcing funds through national subsidies and the Gwangju City Disaster Management Fund, and will submit a supplementary budget proposal to the Gwangju City Council within this month.

Gwangju City also plans to deploy additional support personnel to 95 resident autonomy centers to facilitate citizens applying for support and will operate a dedicated banner on the city website.

Since a flood of visits and inquiries is expected at the resident autonomy centers, the city will strengthen quarantine measures accordingly.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop stated, “At this moment, the top priority is to block the spread of COVID-19 infection to protect the lives and safety of our citizens, but on the other hand, it is also an urgent and important task to save the local economy, which is on the brink of collapse. We will protect citizens’ health and the livelihoods of ordinary people by establishing a watertight quarantine safety net along with a meticulous economic stabilization system.”

He added, “Although the immediate crisis has been addressed through three rounds of livelihood stabilization measures, the difficulties and pains felt by citizens have not been completely resolved. We will continuously prepare and announce additional measures by reflecting the voices from the economic field and recommendations from the Gwangju Emergency Economic Measures Meeting, including employment retention plans by sector.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.