Appeals Flood In and ID Cards Appear... Bitter Controversy Over 'Gukmin Support Fund'

Over 50,000 Objections Filed from the 6th to 9th
'Status Table' Sharing Class Divisions by Income Level
Ruling Party: "Accepting Objections Could Enable Payments to 90% of Citizens"

On the afternoon of the 5th, a promotional sign indicating the use of the National Support Fund was posted at a convenience store in downtown Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Since the 'COVID-19 Coexistence National Support Fund' (National Support Fund) began disbursement on the 6th, public dissatisfaction regarding the eligibility criteria has been growing. While appeals related to non-payment have been flooding in, a 'class chart' dividing social status based on eligibility for the support fund has even emerged.

The National Support Fund is designed to selectively provide 250,000 KRW per person to members of households in the bottom 88% income bracket.

However, as of 6 p.m. on the 9th, four days after the payments began, approximately 54,000 related appeals had been received through the online National Petition System. This amounts to well over 13,000 appeals per day.

Regarding this, Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, explained the reasons for the appeals in an interview on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 10th: "The main reasons for appeals include changes in family composition, cases where families recently married or returned from overseas increasing the number of members and requesting a review of the criteria, and requests for reconsideration due to recent business closures or income reductions, even though eligibility is determined based on last year's income."

Although the National Support Fund is provided to 88% of the population based on income criteria, it uses health insurance premiums as the standard, which makes it difficult to immediately reflect income changes. This has led to complaints from those excluded from the benefit.

Complaints about the National Support Fund do not end there. In some online communities, a chart dividing 'social status ranks' according to eligibility for the support fund has been shared.

In some online communities, a so-called 'class chart' distinguishing people's status according to the criteria for the National Support Fund payment even appeared. / Photo by Internet homepage capture

According to this chart, households in the top 3% exceeding the property tax base are labeled 'Seonggol,' those in the top 7% exceeding financial income criteria are 'Jingol,' and households in the top 12% excluded from the support fund due to exceeding insurance premium criteria are divided into ranks from 6-Dupum to 4-Dupum. Meanwhile, the top 90% and top 100% eligible for disaster relief funds are classified as commoners and slaves, respectively.

Netizens who saw the chart expressed mixed dissatisfaction, saying things like, "I was able to receive the support fund immediately because I'm a commoner. I don't know if that's a good or sad thing," "I feel like a slave but don't understand why I'm classified in the top 12%," and "Forget pride, I just want the money."

Those excluded from the support fund cannot help but oppose the criteria dividing income levels, and even those included feel a sense of deprivation and self-loathing, as inclusion only means relatively low income, critics pointed out.

Amid this situation, the ruling party announced that it would try to reflect appeals regarding eligibility as much as possible.

Ko Yong-jin, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, said after the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on the 9th, "If we accept appeals regarding family composition or regional health insurance premiums, the number will be quite significant," adding, "If the government accepts the appeals, payments could be extended to 90% of the population."

However, he emphasized, "Originally, the percentage criteria were not fixed; the supplementary budget was passed considering family composition and health insurance standards," and clarified, "The prediction is that it could rise to around 2%, but it does not mean that the number will suddenly be increased."

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