2023 Ministry of the Interior and Safety Comprehensive Guidelines Reflected

Revamp of Usage Locations Focused on Small Business Owners

Gumi City in Gyeongbuk Province will restrict the use of Gumi Sarang Gift Certificates at merchants with annual sales exceeding 3 billion KRW starting August 31, in accordance with the 2023 Ministry of the Interior and Safety's comprehensive guidelines for the Local Love Gift Certificate issuance support project.

Gumi City Hall.

The revised guidelines from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety aim to address the issue of Local Love Gift Certificates being used at businesses that are difficult to classify as small merchants, such as large hospitals, large marts, and large gas stations, by allowing merchant registration only for those with annual sales of 3 billion KRW or less.

The city has sent advance notices and guidance for submitting opinions to 243 merchants, out of a total of 15,150 Gumi Sarang Gift Certificate affiliated stores, whose annual sales exceed 3 billion KRW, and has initiated administrative procedures. As of August 1, merchants exceeding 3 billion KRW in sales last year have been confirmed, and after a one-month grace period, usage will be restricted starting August 31.

However, even stores with annual sales exceeding 3 billion KRW can continue to accept policy-issued Gumi Sarang Gift Certificates (card type), which are not purchased directly by users, such as those for farmers' allowances, as before.

Seo Seonggyo, Director of the Job and Economy Division, stated, “Some small and medium-sized marts like Hanaro Mart, hospitals, and gas stations, which are frequently used by citizens, are included among the restricted merchants, so confusion is expected.” He added, “We plan to minimize citizen inconvenience through prior publicity, and citizens should check merchant information via the Gumi Sarang Gift Certificate app and the city website before visiting affiliated stores.”

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