Seongnam City’s “100,000 Won per Household” Energy Safety Support Fund Application Rate Surpasses 47% in Just 9 Days

Seongnam City Lifts Five-Day Rotation Starting May 26

"Be Sure to Apply by June 12"

Seongnam City's "Energy Safety Support Fund," designed to help alleviate the burden on citizens caused by high inflation and rising energy prices, has attracted significant attention, with an application rate of 47.1% just nine days after applications opened.

Seongnam City Hall exterior. Provided by Seongnam City

According to Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province on May 20, a total of 193,276 households (47.1%) out of the 410,218 eligible households had completed their applications for the Energy Safety Support Fund as of May 18 (excluding holidays), after applications began on May 6.

The Energy Safety Support Fund is an independent support initiative pioneered by Seongnam City, the first of its kind in the country. It is provided separately from the government’s high oil price relief payments, with 100,000 won allocated per household.

Looking at the application status by payment method so far, the largest number of applicants—89,792 people (47%)—have chosen to apply via the mobile Seongnam Love Gift Certificate using their smartphones. This was followed by 52,833 people (27%) who visited their local administrative welfare centers to apply for a prepaid card, and 50,651 people (26%) who opted for a direct cash transfer to their bank accounts.

The most popular choice among citizens was the online application, which is not subject to the “five-day rotation” system based on the last digit of the birth year. This allows even working citizens to apply conveniently at any time and from anywhere. By accessing the regional gift certificate app "Chak" on a smartphone, applications and receipt of the funds are simple and straightforward.

Citizens who wish to apply in person at an administrative welfare center should check the schedule and required documents in advance.

To prevent on-site congestion, Seongnam City will operate an “on-site visit five-day rotation system” based on the last digit of the applicant's birth year until May 22. When visiting the administrative welfare center in their respective neighborhood, applicants must bring a valid form of identification.

For in-person applications, applicants can choose between a prepaid card or a cash transfer as their payment method. If the prepaid card is chosen, it is issued on the spot and can be used immediately. If cash is chosen, the amount will be deposited into the designated bank account within five days after submitting a copy of the bankbook.

As more than half of all eligible recipients have yet to apply, Seongnam City plans to further strengthen its promotional efforts to ensure that no eligible citizen is left out. The final application deadline for the Energy Safety Support Fund is June 12.

A Seongnam City official stated, "We hope the Energy Safety Support Fund will provide some stability to the lives of our citizens," adding, "We will focus our promotional efforts to make sure that all eligible citizens are able to apply within the designated period."

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