Government Resumes Distribution of Consumer Discount Vouchers... For Now, Excludes High-Risk Accommodations Due to Infection Concerns

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The distribution of consumer discount coupons, which had been suspended due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), will resume.

On the 18th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced that it will restart the consumer discount coupon support projects in the fields of performances, movies, and sports. The government plans to gradually begin with the performance, movie, and sports sectors, where management is possible from a quarantine perspective, rather than resuming support for all sectors at once.

Earlier, since August, the government had planned to hold consumer discount coupons and various tourism events and consumption activities, but these were suspended after the COVID-19 spread following the Liberation Day rallies.

From the 22nd, for museums, if tickets are booked online, up to 5 tickets per person will receive a 40% discount, up to 3,000 KRW. For art exhibitions, both online reservations (limit of 4 tickets per person) and on-site purchases (limit of 6 tickets per person per month) will receive discounts ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 KRW.

For performances, if tickets are booked through any of the eight online reservation platforms (Naver N Reservation, Melon Ticket, Auction Ticket, Interpark Ticket, Yes24 Ticket, Ticket Link, Hana Ticket, SK Planet), an 8,000 KRW discount per person will be applied. The reserved tickets can be used starting from the 24th, with a limit of 4 tickets per person.

Movie discounts will be applied from the 28th. If tickets are booked through each cinema’s online reservation platform, a 6,000 KRW discount per person will be given. Up to 2 tickets per person can be booked, and the discount can be used starting from the 30th.

For sports facilities, winners selected by each credit card company who spend more than 80,000 KRW between the 2nd and 30th of next month will receive a 30,000 KRW refund as support.

The government will impose core quarantine rule compliance obligations on facility operators where discount coupons are applied and will issue discount coupons only to consumers who agree to comply with quarantine rules, thereby managing quarantine. Additionally, quarantine supplies will be provided to movie theaters and indoor sports facilities, and personnel support such as 450 quarantine guards for performance venues will be provided. From the 22nd, quarantine inspections will be conducted targeting movie theaters, performance venues, and indoor sports facilities.

However, the government did not include the three sectors of accommodation, travel, and dining out, judging that they pose risks from a quarantine perspective. The timing for resuming consumer discount coupons in these three sectors will be reviewed based on the COVID-19 spread situation.

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