A total of 91.2% of eligible recipients have applied for the first round of South Korea's high fuel price relief payments, according to official data.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Thursday that 2,944,073 out of 3,227,785 eligible recipients submitted applications during the two-week first-round period, which ran from May 27 through Thursday. Total disbursements reached 1.67 trillion won ($1.2 billion).
By region, South Jeolla Province posted the highest application rate at 93.6%, followed by Seoul and Jeju at 92.9%, Busan at 92.7%, and Daegu at 92.4%. Most regions exceeded 90%. Gyeonggi Province at 89.6%, Gangwon at 89.3%, and South Gyeongsang at 87.8% recorded comparatively lower rates.
By payment method, credit and debit cards were the most popular choice with approximately 1,163,943 applicants. Prepaid cards followed with 1,027,742 applicants, mobile and card-type local gift certificates with 672,275, and paper-type certificates with 80,113.
The high fuel price relief payment is designed to ease the burden on citizens from rising fuel costs and inflation. Payments ranging from 100,000 won to 600,000 won per person are being distributed to the bottom 70% of income earners, with amounts varying by income level and region of residence.
The ministry will conduct the second round of payments from June 18 through July 3, covering all eligible recipients. First-round recipients who missed the initial application window can also apply during this period.
