Most Koreans Already Sign up for Coronavirus Relief Money

Published on 2020/06/07 | Source

People wait to sign up for coronavirus relief money at a local district office in Seoul on May 18. /Yonhap

Almost 99 percent of all households in Korea have received up to W1 million in coronavirus relief money (US$1=W1,218).

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 98.9 percent of a total 21.47 million households had signed up for the payments as of Wednesday. In money terms, 95 percent of the W14.24 trillion in aid money had been handed out.

The payments began to be handed out on May 4, with 90 percent of recipients receiving the money within the next two weeks.

Only 60,000 households or 0.2 percent applied for the coronavirus relief on Tuesday, totaling only W34.8 billion. That suggests most of the unclaimed W729 billion is expected to be donated to the state.