Vacation Support Program Expanded Ahead of First Labor Day Holiday... Total of 145,000 Workers to Benefit

Ministry Expands Recruitment of SME and Mid-Sized Company Participants
Regional Workers to Receive Vacation Subsidies Worth 420,000 Won
30% Discounts on KTX, Rental Cars, and More Also Offered

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is expanding the "Worker Vacation Support Program (Half-Price Vacation)" and recruiting additional participants.

On April 27, the Ministry announced that, in conjunction with Korea Tourism Organization, it will increase the scale of the program from the current 100,000 participants to 145,000 in celebration of Labor Day being designated as a public holiday, and will also recruit additional participating companies.

The additional support targets include 35,000 workers from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 10,000 workers from mid-sized companies. For employees of companies located in regional areas, the government will provide an extra 20,000 won in support, bringing the total vacation subsidy to 420,000 won. This retroactive benefit will also apply to existing participants, and the additional subsidy can be used starting May 1.

The Ministry expects that this measure will help revive travel demand, which has been dampened by high oil prices, and promote local tourism spending.

In addition, from April 30 for one month, a "Zero Departure Burden" event will be held. The program will offer a 30% discount (up to 30,000 won) on high-speed rail (KTX), rental cars, and public transportation package products. During the first week of May, additional benefits will include accommodation discounts of up to 90,000 won and "welcome points" for new subscribers.

The "win-win vacation welfare model," in which large corporations and public institutions partially support the vacation expenses of partner company employees, will also be expanded. The Ministry plans to strengthen cooperation with related organizations to encourage participation in the program.

Kang Jeongwon, policy chief for tourism at the Ministry, stated, "Our goal is to quickly execute the supplementary budget to restore the weakened domestic market," adding, "We will provide tangible benefits to regional workers and inject vitality into the local economy."

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