A banner promoting the “consumption coupons for livelihood recovery” is displayed at Eungbong-dong Community Service Center in Seoul on Monday morning. (Yonhap)
A banner promoting the “consumption coupons for livelihood recovery” is displayed at Eungbong-dong Community Service Center in Seoul on Monday morning. (Yonhap)

More than half of eligible recipients have applied for stimulus vouchers just four days after the launch of the nationwide program, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Friday.

According to the ministry, 28.9 million people, or 57.1 percent of those eligible, including all Korean citizens and some foreign residents, had submitted applications by Thursday, with a total of 5.21 trillion won ($3.79 billion) in coupons distributed.

In Incheon and Sejong, the application rates exceeded 60 percent. South Jeolla Province and Jeju Island both saw relatively lower rates at 53.2 percent, with 943,325 people applying in South Jeolla Province and 351,996 in Jeju Island.

In Seoul, 5.2 million people had applied, accounting for 57 percent of those eligible.

The coupon program began on July 21, marking its fifth day on Friday.

This week, applications were accepted on designated days according to the last digit of an applicant’s birth year. On Friday, those born in years ending in 5 or 0 were eligible to apply.

Starting this weekend and continuing through the end of the first round of applications at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12, applications can be submitted regardless of birth year.

The coupons can be used from the day after application until Nov. 30 at small businesses with annual sales under 3 billion won.


ssh@heraldcorp.com