Over 5 Million Apply on First Day of Second High Oil Price Relief Payments for 70% of the Population

A Total of 8.04 Million Applications for Rounds 1 and 2 Combined
Relief Payments Amounting to 2.37 Trillion Won Distributed

On the first day of the second round of High Oil Price Relief Payments, which targets the bottom 70% income bracket, more than 5 million people applied.

Oil Price Surge Relief Payment Site. April 27, 2026. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on May 19, as of midnight the previous day, the cumulative number of applicants for the High Oil Price Relief Payment, combining both the first and second rounds, reached a total of 8,044,281.

Given that approximately 2,976,000 people (a 92.1% application rate) applied in the first round, it is estimated that about 5,060,000 people applied for the second round.

So far, the cumulative application rate for both rounds has reached 22.4% of all eligible recipients, and a total of 2.37 trillion won in relief payments has been provided.

By payment method, 4,787,716 people chose credit or debit cards, 1,628,787 chose prepaid cards, 1,421,863 opted for mobile or card-type local gift certificates, and 205,915 selected paper-type certificates.

By region, application rates were highest in South Jeolla Province at 26.88%, followed by North Jeolla Province at 25.69%, and Busan at 24.91%. Seoul recorded 22.23%, while Sejong had the lowest rate at 19.93%.

Applications for the second round of High Oil Price Relief Payments will be accepted until 6:00 PM on July 3. Those eligible for the first round who have not yet applied can also submit their applications during this period.

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