Ministry of the Interior and Safety Holds Meeting on Second Round of High Oil Price Subsidy Payments: "Securing Prepaid Card Supply"

Targeting 70% of the Population... Surge in Applications Expected
Active Guidance via Community-Based Publicity Channels

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a meeting of the planning and coordination chiefs of city and provincial governments on May 13 to ensure the smooth execution of the second round of high oil price subsidy payments at the local level.

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, is announcing the second phase of high oil price support payments on the 11th at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

During the meeting, participants focused on reviewing the preparations for the second round of subsidy payments, which are scheduled to begin on May 18.

As this second round will target 70% of the entire population, the ministry emphasized the need to thoroughly secure sufficient quantities of offline payment methods, such as prepaid cards, to prepare for a significant increase in the number of applicants compared to the first round.

The ministry also requested that local governments actively utilize community-friendly publicity channels, including village hall broadcasts and social networking services (SNS), to inform residents about the eligibility criteria, application procedures, and payment amounts.

In addition, the ministry provided guidelines to local governments on the execution of local contracts in response to the recent sharp rise in international raw material prices.

The ministry also called for thorough completion and progress inspections, as well as on-site checks during projects such as forest restoration, in order to prevent substandard construction and to strengthen oversight throughout the entire project process.

Finally, the ministry stressed the importance of thorough pre-arrangements to ensure that the local tax arrears management teams can operate stably in the field. The ministry announced plans to provide support, such as special grants, to local governments that demonstrate excellence in operating these teams.

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