"3 Million Won Job-Seeking Allowance Draws 140,000 People in 2 Weeks... 'Payments May Start This Month'"

Park Hwajin, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, Checks Operation Status of National Employment Support System
88,000 Young People Applied... Service Contact Points Expanded to 171 Locations

Employment Center stock photo

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The number of applicants for the 'National Employment Support System,' which provides job-seeking allowances of up to 3 million KRW, has reached a total of 140,000 so far.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced in a press release on the 12th that the number of applicants for the National Employment Support System reached 139,638 as of the 10th.

This figure includes 59,946 people who applied online in advance from December 28 to 31 last year.

Within just two weeks of accepting applications, 140,000 job seekers have applied.

The National Employment Support System is a 'Korean-style unemployment assistance' program that provides up to 3 million KRW (50,000 KRW per month for 6 months) in job-seeking promotion allowances and employment support services to vulnerable groups such as low-income job seekers, youth, and women with career interruptions.

4.5 Applicants from Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon... Payments to Begin as Early as Late January

Analyzing the applicants by region, the central region (Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon) had the highest number of applicants at 45,317. This was followed by Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju (including Jeju), and Daejeon regions.

By age group, the youth group (18-34 years old) accounted for the largest number with 87,610 applicants (63.3%). Next were ▲middle-aged group (35-64 years old) with 48,694 applicants (34.9%) ▲65-69 years old with 2,518 applicants ▲15-17 years old with 82 applicants.

The Ministry of Employment plans to conduct income and asset investigations on applicants and promptly review and decide on eligibility based on the results.

Applicants who are recognized as eligible will receive a monthly job-seeking allowance of 500,000 KRW and employment support services starting as early as the end of this month.

To ensure smooth implementation of the system, the Ministry has expanded service points to 171 by establishing 70 new medium-sized centers and branch offices in addition to 101 employment centers nationwide.

They have also built a cooperative system with 110 Saeil Centers and 121 local government job centers nationwide.

Deputy Minister of Employment Visits Centers to Check on Operations and Quarantine Measures

Park Hwa-jin, Deputy Minister of Employment, visited the Daejeon Employment Center to encourage field staff and check on quarantine and social distancing measures as well as operational status.

Deputy Minister Park expressed concern over the excessive workload compared to the staff due to the concentration of applications at the beginning of the year, saying, "Although it is a difficult situation, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will take the lead in actively supporting the public to overcome these challenging times," encouraging the staff.

He urged, "Please thoroughly implement quarantine measures, assign dedicated personnel, and inspect the computer network in response to the surge in applications at the beginning of the year, and ensure that allowance payments and employment support are carried out promptly with thorough initial response."

The National Employment Support System can be applied for online at the website (www.work.go.kr/kua) or by visiting employment centers nationwide in person. For more details, check the website or contact the Ministry of Employment Customer Service Center (☎1350) for guidance.

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