The government has rolled out a high fuel price relief subsidy in its "war-pretext supplementary budget," providing 70% of citizens with local love gift certificates to ease the burden of high oil prices. However, the certificates can be used at only 12% of gas stations in the Seoul metropolitan area, data showed. Critics say the government is mocking the public by distributing vouchers that cannot be used at gas stations under the pretext of supporting those affected by high fuel prices.
According to data obtained by Rep. Cheon Ha-ram of the Reform Party from 17 local governments on the 21st, only 4,530 out of 10,752 gas stations nationwide are affiliated with the local love gift certificate program, an affiliation rate of just 42%. This means the high fuel price relief subsidy cannot be used at six out of every 10 gas stations nationwide.
By region, the Seoul metropolitan area is the most problematic. The affiliation rates stood at 9% in Gyeonggi Province, 19% in Incheon, and 23% in Seoul, bringing the overall metropolitan area rate to just 12%.
Some areas outside the Seoul metropolitan area also show low affiliation rates, including Busan at 20% and Daejeon at 26%.
In particular, Ulsan Metropolitan City had an affiliation rate of 0%, as its ordinance excludes gas stations from the list of places where local love gift certificates can be used. Ulsan's 1.09 million citizens are institutionally blocked from using the subsidy at gas stations.
The high fuel price relief subsidy is a core project of the war-related supplementary budget, which was drawn up in response to rising oil prices caused by the Middle East war. Up to 600,000 won per person is provided in local love gift certificates to those in the bottom 70% of income. However, gas stations with annual sales of 3 billion won or more are excluded from affiliated merchants.
At a policy inquiry session of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on April 7, Rep. Cheon said, "It is frankly somewhat ridiculous that a subsidy for high fuel price damage cannot be used at gas stations." He added, "I understand that we have maintained the annual sales standard of 3 billion won, but this time we should apply an exception so that the subsidy can at least be used at gas stations," urging the government to improve the system.
When the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced its plan for the high fuel price relief subsidy on April 11, it replied that "the basic principle of applying the standard of annual sales of 3 billion won or less will be maintained," effectively adhering to its existing position.
"Giving out vouchers labeled as high fuel price relief, when citizens cannot even use them to buy a drop of gasoline at gas stations, is mocking the public," Cheon said. "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety must immediately revise the operational guidelines for local love gift certificates to allow at least gas stations to use the subsidy by making an exception to the sales criteria."
