Yongsan-gu, Emergency Living Expense Support for Foreign Residents in Disasters

Cash Payment of 300,000 KRW (1-2 Person Households) to 500,000 KRW (5+ Person Households) for Households Below 100% Median Income... Online Application from Aug 31 to Sep 25, On-site Application from Sep 14 to 25

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) will provide emergency living expenses support for foreign residents in accordance with city policy.

The support target is approximately 7,900 households.

The selection criteria are households with income at or below 100% of the median income (1-person household 1.75 million KRW, 2-person household 2.99 million KRW, 3-person household 3.87 million KRW, 4-person household 4.74 million KRW, 5-person household 5.62 million KRW, 6-person household 6.5 million KRW). Households with no income records or zero income are excluded from eligibility.

The support amount is cash payment ranging from 300,000 KRW (for 1-2 person households) to 500,000 KRW (for households of 5 or more).

Applications for support can be made by the workplace-insured or regional head of household listed on the health insurance qualification certificate, or the family representative listed on the foreigner registration certificate. The head of household (family representative) must hold a visa (residence status) that allows employment or profit-making activities and must have been registered as a foreigner or reported residence in Seoul for more than 90 days as of August 27.

However, those who have already received Seoul City emergency living expenses, emergency welfare support or Seoul-type emergency welfare support (living expenses), COVID-19 living support (hospitalized or quarantined for 14 days or more), COVID-19 paid leave costs (hospitalized or quarantined for 5 days or more), or unemployment benefits are excluded from eligibility.

Applications will first be accepted online from August 31 to September 25. Applicants must submit an application form, consent form for personal information provision, health insurance qualification certificate, and foreigner registration certificate on the Seoul City foreign resident emergency living expenses application site.

On-site applications will be accepted for two weeks from September 14 to 25. Temporary reception desks will be set up on the 2nd floor civil service office of Yongsan-gu Office (150 Noksapyeong-daero) and the 4th floor of the district health branch office (329 Baekbeom-ro). To ensure sufficient social distancing, heads of household (family representatives) whose birth year ends in 1 or 6 should apply on Monday, 2 or 7 on Tuesday, 3 or 8 on Wednesday, 4 or 9 on Thursday, and 5 or 0 on Friday.

At on-site reception, proxies (household members of the same household) other than the head of household may also apply. Proxy documents required are the ID cards of both the proxy and the head of household, and a power of attorney.

The district will verify income through the Happy e-um system and determine eligibility. If criteria are not met, applicants may be asked to supplement documents.

Subsequently, the district will issue prepaid cards to eligible recipients. The cards can be used at card-affiliated stores such as marts, restaurants, and convenience stores in the Seoul area, but cannot be used at large marts, entertainment establishments, pubs, or online stores. The usage deadline is December 15, 2020.

Emergency living expense support for foreign residents is a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission. Although the city provided emergency living expenses to local residents in the first half of the year, excluding foreign residents caused controversy.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “As of the end of June, about 20,000 foreigners live in Yongsan. We expect that the foreigner emergency support fund will contribute to revitalizing the local economy.”

He also emphasized, “We urge the use of the funds within the deadline to help revive the depressed local economy.”