Over 553,000 Apply for High Oil Price Relief Payments on First Day... 316 Billion Won Disbursed

by Kim Bokyung

Published 28 Apr.2026 11:12(KST)

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Releases First-Day Application and Payment Status on April 27

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on April 28 that a total of 552,900 people had applied for high oil price relief payments as of midnight on April 27, the day applications and payments began.

On April 27, 2026, residents visiting the Hwagok 4-dong Community Service Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, began registering to receive the first round of high oil price relief payments. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

With the weekday application system in effect based on the last digit of applicants' birth years, approximately 17% of the 3,227,785 eligible recipients for the first round applied for the relief payment on the first day.

The first round of recipients includes basic livelihood security beneficiaries, the near-poor, and low-income single-parent families. Basic livelihood security beneficiaries receive at least 550,000 won per person depending on the region, while the near-poor and single-parent families receive at least 450,000 won each.

By payment type, the largest number of applicants, 229,826, chose prepaid cards, followed by 198,572 for credit/debit card points, and 124,502 for regional gift certificates.

As of this date, the total amount paid out was tallied at 316 billion won.