Small Business Quarantine Support Fund Paid to 2,179,000 People by 6 PM on the 7th

On the 27th, when the government began distributing quarantine support funds to small business owners affected by COVID-19 prevention measures, small business owners were waiting for consultations at the Small Enterprise and Market Service Seoul Jungbu Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Eligible recipients are small business owners and small enterprises that opened by December 15 of this year and have experienced or are expected to experience a decrease in sales, receiving 1 million KRW per business. Applications for the support fund can be made on the dedicated website '소상공인방역지원금.kr'. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 7th that it has paid 1 million KRW each to 753,000 small business owners affected by COVID-19 in a single day as part of the quarantine support fund.

On the same day, starting from 9 a.m., the Ministry sent application guidance text messages to small business owners eligible for the second round of quarantine support payments whose business registration numbers end with an odd digit.

Since the start of the first payment, a total of 2,179,000 small business owners have received the quarantine support fund by 6 p.m. on the same day. This figure represents those who applied and were paid between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., accounting for 94.1% of the 799,000 applicants during that period.

The application for the second round of quarantine support payments is operated on an odd-even basis over two days, the 6th and 7th. On the previous day, small business owners with business registration numbers ending in an even digit applied, and on this day, those with odd digits could apply. From the 8th onward, applications are accepted regardless of the number.

Payments are made five times a day, as with the first round. If applicants apply by 6 p.m., the support fund is deposited on the same day. Applications made on the weekend and holidays, the 8th and 9th, will be paid on Monday, the 10th.

The target for the second round of small business quarantine support payments is approximately 2.48 million people. This includes about 2.45 million people eligible for the Small Business Disaster Support Fund Buttress Fund Plus and Hope Recovery Fund, excluding some, as well as about 28,000 operators of multiple single-person businesses who were excluded from the first payment due to operating under business hour restrictions.

The second payment target also includes about 40,000 in the lodging industry, about 10,000 in the travel industry, and about 140,000 in the beauty and hairdressing industry, which are indirectly affected sectors due to strengthened quarantine measures.

Small business owners who received the guidance text can apply online at the dedicated website 'sosangonginbangyeokjiweum.kr'. To apply, applicants must have a mobile phone registered in their name or a joint certificate (for corporations, a corporate joint certificate) for identity verification.

Operators of multiple single-person businesses can apply starting from the 10th.

Meanwhile, small business owners who have been subject to business hour restrictions since December 18 last year and require separate confirmation from the relevant local government are scheduled to receive the third payment starting from the 17th.

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