"Conflict with Head of Household..." Dispute Over Emergency Disaster Relief Fund Usage Locations

Emergency Disaster Relief Fund Usage Accelerates... Conflicts Over Usage Locations
65.7% of All Households Have Received Payments... 68,500 Objections Filed
Ministry of the Interior and Safety: "We Will Continuously Improve to Ensure Benefits Are Distributed Fairly"

On the first day of offline applications for the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund on the 18th, citizens are waiting to apply for the support fund at the Cheongunhyoja-dong Community Service Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] # Office worker A (27) recently had a heated argument with her older brother over the emergency disaster relief fund. The older brother, who is the head of the household, had used the entire emergency disaster relief fund by himself. A said, "Since the fund is not given in cash, it’s difficult to divide it. Originally, we had agreed to use the emergency disaster relief fund as shared living expenses," adding, "I protested to my brother asking for at least part of the fund in cash, but we ended up arguing even more over it."

Starting from the 11th, online applications for the emergency disaster relief fund to overcome the COVID-19 crisis began, and from the 18th, applications can also be made offline. Accordingly, the use of the emergency disaster relief fund is expected to become more active.

Meanwhile, there are quite a few households experiencing conflicts over the use of the fund. This is because some heads of households may monopolize the fund without the consent of other household members.

In principle, offline applications for credit or debit cards must be made by the head of the household who brings their ID and visits a bank counter to apply with a card in their own name. However, if there is no communication due to family discord or if someone is exposed to domestic violence, it is difficult to receive the benefits of the fund.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) on the 18th, the total amount of disaster relief funds paid out until the previous day (the 17th) reached 8.9122 trillion won. This corresponds to 62.6% of the total emergency disaster relief fund budget of 14.2448 trillion won. Out of the total 21.71 million eligible households, 14.26 million households, or 65.7%, have received the fund.

However, as of the 15th, 68,500 appeals related to the emergency disaster relief fund had been filed. According to MOIS, many of these appeals involved household changes such as divorce, marriage, and dependent adjustments.

Considering this situation, the government allows members of divorced families, victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, and child abuse to apply for the fund through appeals. However, there are criticisms that some citizens remain in blind spots who cannot receive benefits because they do not meet the appeal criteria.

This is because it is not easy to file an appeal if one is experiencing family discord or is a victim of domestic violence where the head of the household pressures family members by controlling economic power.

On the first day of offline applications for the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund on the 18th, citizens are filling out support fund application forms at the Samjeon-dong Community Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, voices criticizing the current criteria for disaster relief fund distribution are growing in the political sphere.

Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 8th, "From the beginning, the central government repeatedly suggested that it would be appropriate to pay per individual," and criticized, "Allowing only the head of the household to apply does not align well with the constitutional principle of equality."

He continued, "The concept of the head of the household is patriarchal culture, isn’t it? It grants full authority to the old patriarchal head of the household," emphasizing, "Surprisingly, democracy within families is often not smooth. That becomes a problem."

Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, also criticized on the 15th on 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' saying, "Problems and solutions have been found not only for those who have changed their address but also regarding the original purpose and effects of the system," and added, "Currently, the fund is distributed nationwide with restrictions on usage areas and deadlines, but if larger amounts were given in cash to those truly at income risk, it would have been used better."

In response to these criticisms, MOIS stated that they will make improvements to ensure no citizens are left in blind spots.

Yoon Jong-in, Deputy Minister of MOIS and head of the government-wide emergency disaster relief fund task force, said at a press briefing at the Government Seoul Office on the 18th, "When I visited the field last week, the most common request was to separate households," adding, "Regardless of the reason, support amounts differ depending on the household (headcount), so many people believe that separation should be considered based on their circumstances."

Deputy Minister Yoon said, "It is hopeful that most households will complete their application and payment within this month. We will strive to deliver the fund well to the people within this month," and added, "Since this is the first time doing this, mistakes may occur unintentionally, and we ask for understanding. Considering the purpose of the system targeting all households nationwide, we will continuously improve it to minimize blind spots and ensure benefits are distributed evenly."

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