"No Unfair Practices with Emergency Disaster Relief Funds" ... Gyeongnam Province Operates Reporting Center

Crackdown on Cash Conversion of Price Differences and Gift Certificates

The government's emergency disaster relief fund credit and debit card recharge application began at 7 a.m. on the 11th through the websites of nine card companies. Similar to the public mask 5-day rotation system, the application follows a day-of-the-week system, and from the 16th, applications can be made at any time. The support fund amounts are 400,000 KRW for single-person households, 600,000 KRW for two-person households, 800,000 KRW for three-person households, and 1,000,000 KRW for households of four or more. The photo shows a citizen in Jongno-gu, Seoul, applying for the support fund that day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 13th that it will operate the 'Emergency Disaster Relief Fund Unfair Practice Reporting Center' to ensure that the emergency disaster relief funds supported by the province and the government to overcome the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are properly used.

Reports of fraudulent distribution or unfair practices related to the emergency disaster relief funds can be made to the Gyeongnam Consumer Life Center, the Unfair Trade Damage Counseling Center, or the Gyeongnam 120 Civil Economy Call Center. The province plans to cooperate with related organizations such as the Credit Finance Association, the National Tax Service, and the National Police Agency to take measures such as criminal prosecution or franchise cancellation based on the reports received.

The main targets for reporting include acts where franchise stores discriminate against emergency disaster relief funds received via credit, debit, or prepaid cards by demanding additional fees under the name of commissions.

It also includes acts such as issuing gift certificates without purchase or for amounts exceeding the actual purchase price and cashing the difference, as well as reselling emergency disaster relief funds (prepaid cards or paper gift certificates).

The province emphasized that illegal or unfair use of emergency disaster relief funds will result in penalties of up to one year imprisonment or fines up to 10 million won according to relevant laws.

Additionally, special judicial police and city/county joint teams will strengthen guidance and inspections related to fraudulent distribution of emergency disaster relief funds, and efforts for self-purification to establish a sound distribution order will be carried out in cooperation with the Small Business Association.

Kim Ki-young, Director of the Job Economy Bureau of Gyeongsangnam-do, urged, "We ask both consumers and franchise owners to participate in establishing a sound distribution order so that citizens exhausted by COVID-19 can start consumption activities with the disaster relief funds, revive the local economy, and return to daily life."

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