Mandatory Service Soldiers to Be Allowed 'PX Payment' with National Support Fund... "System Update Around Chuseok"

74% of Eligible Recipients Received Support Funds Within 8 Days... Cumulative Payments Surpass 8 Trillion Won

On the first day of offline applications for the COVID-19 Mutual Aid National Support Fund on the 13th, citizens are receiving related consultations at the Gireum 1-dong Community Service Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government is expanding the use of the COVID-19 coexistence national support fund for soldiers to all military PX stores nationwide. This measure aims to strongly protect the application and usage rights of conscripted soldiers fulfilling their military service obligations. Additionally, it was reported that over 74% of eligible recipients, more than 7 out of 10 people, have received the support fund within the eight days since its distribution began on the 6th.

On the 14th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced plans to allow conscripted soldiers to make payments at all PX stores nationwide only if they apply for and receive the national support fund through the ‘Nara Sarang Card (check card).’ The ministry explained, "System integration is expected to be completed around the Chuseok holiday," and added, "The exact date when usage will be possible will be separately shared through the Ministry of National Defense."

Once the system integration is complete, conscripted soldiers will be able to use the national support fund at local love gift certificate affiliated stores within their resident registration jurisdiction as well as at PX stores nationwide until the end of the year.

Furthermore, during the eight days of national support fund application and distribution starting from the 6th, 74% of eligible recipients have received the fund. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, on the first day of offline applications, the 13th, 2,576,000 people applied and 644 billion KRW was distributed.

From the 6th to the 13th, over the eight days, the cumulative number of applicants reached 32,079,000, and the cumulative amount distributed was 8.0197 trillion KRW. This means that 74.2% of the provisional 43.26 million eligible recipients have received the support fund, which corresponds to 62.0% of the total population.

By payment method, 27.64 million people (86.2%) used credit or check cards, 3.789 million people (11.8%) used local love gift certificates, and 649,000 people (2.0%) used prepaid cards.

The number of appeals has exceeded 200,000. As of 6 p.m. on the 13th, the cumulative number of appeals was 207,327. The main reasons for appeals were changes in household composition with 79,416 cases (38.3%) and health insurance premium adjustments with 78,816 cases (38.0%).

The national support fund provides 250,000 KRW per person to the bottom 88% income bracket. Applications can be made online from the 6th to the 12th, and offline from the 13th. During the first week of offline applications, a day-of-the-week system based on the last digit of the birth year is applied.

Those wishing to receive the national support fund via credit or check card should visit the bank linked to their card, while those opting for prepaid cards or paper-type local love gift certificates should visit the resident center of their jurisdictional eup, myeon, or dong to apply. Online applications, which are no longer subject to the day-of-the-week system, can be made regardless of birth year.

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