Special Workers and Freelancers Affected by COVID-19 to Receive 500,000 to 1,500,000 Won... What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Approximately 500,000 special-type workers (teukgo) and freelancers who previously received the government's emergency employment stabilization fund of 1.5 million KRW will receive an additional 500,000 KRW without separate screening. Additionally, 200,000 teukgo and freelancers whose income decreased by more than 25% last month compared to before due to the resurgence of COVID-19 will newly receive 1.5 million KRW.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the execution guidelines for the 'Teukgo and Freelancer Employment Stabilization Fund' under the Ministry's jurisdiction, included in the 4th supplementary budget, on the 15th.

The Teukgo and Freelancer Employment Stabilization Fund can be seen as the '2nd Emergency Employment Stabilization Fund.' The support targets are broadly divided into two groups. First, 500,000 teukgo and freelancers who received the 1st Emergency Employment Stabilization Fund can receive an additional 500,000 KRW without separate screening. However, those enrolled in employment insurance are excluded from support. The timing for determining employment insurance enrollment will be announced in future project notices.

The Ministry plans to send application guidance messages to them before and after the supplementary budget passes the National Assembly, accept applications, and complete the payment of support funds without separate screening before Chuseok. Eligible applicants must apply directly through the dedicated support fund website.

New applicants who did not receive the 1st Emergency Employment Stabilization Fund can receive a one-time support of 1.5 million KRW. The eligibility criteria are: ▲ teukgo and freelancers who provided labor and earned income between December 2019 and January 2020, ▲ not registered as a business and not enrolled in employment insurance, ▲ with taxable income of 50 million KRW or less in 2019, and ▲ whose income in August 2020 decreased by 25% or more compared to the reference period.

The reference period can be applied based on the most favorable among ▲ the average monthly income in 2019, ▲ income in a specific month between June and July 2020, or ▲ income in August 2019. A Ministry of Employment and Labor official stated, "If the number of applicants is large, payments will be made considering annual income, income reduction rate, and other factors comprehensively."

New applicants can apply from October 12 to 23 (tentative) through the dedicated support fund website, mobile application, or by visiting employment centers. The support funds will be paid by November, but additional time may be required if document supplementation is necessary.

The Ministry said, "These guidelines are based on the government's supplementary budget plan. They may change depending on the National Assembly's discussions, and once passed, the finalized execution plan will be announced again."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Below is a Q&A with the Ministry of Employment and Labor regarding the Teukgo and Freelancer Employment Stabilization Fund.

- Who are the support targets?

▲ Teukgo and freelancers with certain income levels who have been affected by COVID-19, including 500,000 teukgo and freelancers who previously received the emergency employment stabilization fund and 200,000 teukgo and freelancers whose income decreased due to the 2nd pandemic and did not receive the 1st emergency fund.

- Who among previously supported teukgo and freelancers are excluded?

▲ Those who received the emergency employment stabilization fund previously but are enrolled in employment insurance are excluded from support. However, the timing for determining enrollment will be announced in the project notice.

- How and when can one apply?

▲ Existing recipients will receive guidance messages on how to apply. However, the application period is flexible depending on the timing of the 4th supplementary budget's passage in the National Assembly. New applicants can apply both online (website) and offline (employment centers). The Ministry is considering a system where offline applications are accepted on alternate days and online applications are prioritized. The application period is tentatively set for two weeks from October 12 to 23. The final confirmed application period and methods will be announced later.

- When will payments begin?

▲ For existing recipients, payments will be made after the supplementary budget passes, and for new applicants, payments will be made collectively within November after screening.

- What programs are excluded due to overlap?

▲ Recipients of similar or overlapping programs such as the Emergency Welfare Support System, Employment Success Package Job-Seeking Promotion Allowance, Youth Job-Seeking Activity Support Fund, Youth Special Job-Seeking Support Fund, and Small Business New Hope Fund are restricted from receiving duplicate payments, so caution is needed when applying.

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