"Full Efforts for Citizen Convenience" ... Changwon Special City Begins High Oil Price Relief Fund Payments

On April 27, in Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, local residents lined up throughout the day at 55 town and district application centers to apply for the "High Oil Price Relief Fund," a nationwide program aimed at easing the economic burden on households caused by high oil and commodity prices.

Changwon City Hall, Gyeongnam Province.
Photo by Se-ryung Lee

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The first round of payments will be made from April 27 to May 8. Priority will be given to approximately 60,000 vulnerable residents, including basic livelihood security recipients, who were registered as residents of Changwon as of March 30. Adults born on or before December 31, 2007, can apply and receive the payment individually, while for minors born on or after January 1, 2008, the head of household must apply on their behalf.

To enhance convenience for citizens, both online and offline application methods are available. Online applications can be made via a mobile local gift certificate or a credit/debit card in the applicant's name, accessible through the relevant app or website. Offline applications require visiting the administrative welfare center in the applicant's town or district as of the reference date (March 30) to receive a prepaid card, or visiting a bank branch to have points credited to a credit/debit card in the applicant's name.

The city government concentrated its administrative resources on minimizing inconvenience for citizens, anticipating large crowds on the first day of applications. A total of 392 application counters were set up across the 55 towns and districts, and 401 support staff were deployed to enhance on-site response capabilities. A dedicated Changwon Relief Fund call center is also in operation to provide real-time answers to citizens' inquiries.

In particular, during the first week of implementation, the city proactively promoted a "Day-of-the-Week System," which allocates application days based on the last digit of the applicant's birth year among first-round recipients, through both online and offline channels to prevent congestion during specific times.

From May 18 to July 3, applications and distributions for the second round of relief funds will be available to the bottom 70% of citizens by income, excluding those who received the first round.

Jang Geumyong, acting mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, "We are deploying personnel and equipment as needed to ensure citizens do not experience inconvenience during the application process for the relief fund," and added, "We will make every effort to provide thorough guidance and publicity so that citizens do not visit the centers by mistake, confusing this relief fund with other support payments."

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