"Income Indicated by Color?"... Gwangju Faces Discrimination Controversy Over Consumption Coupons

Lee Jae Myung Criticizes Card Color Policy as "Lacking Sensitivity to Human Rights"
Gwangju City's Overnight Sticker Operation Faces Backlash from Field Workers
Public Officials' Union: "Excessive Orders During Ongoing Flood Recovery"
City Acknowledges On-Site Burden... Vows to Prevent Recurrence

Gwangju City's livelihood recovery consumption coupon policy, which differentiated the color of prepaid cards based on income level, has become embroiled in a 'discrimination controversy.' As public opinion worsened, Gwangju belatedly began covering the cards with stickers, and the controversy escalated into a central political issue after the President pointed out the lack of sensitivity to human rights.

On the third day of distributing the livelihood recovery consumption coupons on the 23rd, Gwangju City caused controversy by issuing livelihood recovery consumption coupon prepaid cards in different colors according to income levels to residents. President Lee Jae-myung criticized the measure as "a very insensitive action regarding human rights" and ordered corrective measures. The photo shows the prepaid cards lined up at the Nongsung 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju, that afternoon. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Gwangju City and the Gwangju Regional Headquarters of the National Public Officials Union on the 24th, starting at 9 p.m. the previous day, about 400 employees from local administrative welfare centers in Gwangju were mobilized to replace the colors of the prepaid cards. Gwangju City ordered an on-site measure to unify the color of all previously distributed cards by attaching a red sticker to the front of each card. The city distributed the stickers to each local center and instructed them to begin the process around 6 p.m. that day.

Previously, Gwangju City had produced the livelihood recovery consumption coupon cards in different colors according to the amount provided. Pink cards (180,000 won) were given to the top 10 percent and general citizens, light green cards (330,000 won) to those just above the lowest income bracket and single-parent families, and navy blue cards (430,000 won) to basic livelihood security recipients. The amount was also printed on the front of each card, making the recipient's income level visible.

Regarding this policy, President Lee Jae Myung criticized it as "a measure lacking sensitivity to human rights" and ordered immediate corrective action. Kang Yoo Jung, spokesperson for the presidential office, further stated in a briefing that it was "a typical example of administration focused on the convenience of the supplier," and announced that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety had launched a full investigation into the status of prepaid cards, while measures to cover color differences were underway in Gwangju, Busan, and other areas.

President Lee Jae Myung is having a phone conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

On the ground, there were criticisms that the city's swift response only increased the burden on employees. The Gwangju Regional Headquarters of the National Public Officials Union stated, "It was unfair to require night work from staff who were already exhausted from flood recovery efforts." A union representative said, "The card color issue stemmed from administrative shortcomings at the city level, yet the responsibility for resolving it was unfairly shifted to frontline public officials."

As the controversy spread, Gwangju City issued an apology to its public officials. Joo Jae Hee, Director of the Economic and Start-up Bureau of Gwangju City, said, "We deeply apologize for placing a burden on city and district officials," and added, "We will reaffirm Gwangju City's commitment to making human rights our top priority in municipal administration and use this as an opportunity to prevent recurrence."

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