Vice Minister Gi Jae: "Second Disaster Relief Fund to Be Selectively Paid Based on Sales Decline Criteria for Self-Employed and Others"

"Other Affected Groups Receive Customized Support Through Various Programs"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] On the 4th, Kim Yongbeom, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, announced that he is considering using the sales decline of small business owners and self-employed individuals as the criteria for the second round of disaster relief payments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan focuses on selective payments targeting specific industry workers who have been affected, rather than universal payments to the entire population.

On the same day, Vice Minister Kim appeared on KBS 1 Radio's "Kim Kyungrae's Strongest Current Affairs" and, when asked about the specific criteria for the second disaster relief payment, said, "For small business owners and the self-employed, sales criteria are being considered as the basic indicator for selecting recipients," adding, "Sales data is much easier to grasp and more timely than income data." Regarding the possibility of announcing the plan before Chuseok, he explained, "The government aims to finalize the plan by next week and prepare to announce the support measures."

He also shared plans to implement a "customized response" for irregular and special employment workers. Vice Minister Kim stated, "For small business owners and the self-employed, sales are the focus, but other affected groups are diverse," and added, "We are discussing various programs divided by group to provide tailored support for each."

Currently, the government has tentatively decided on the second disaster relief payment and is reviewing its scale and target recipients. The previous night, Vice Minister Kim appeared on KBS's "Newsline" and explained, "Unlike the first wave of COVID-19, the current damage is concentrated in specific groups, so it is appropriate to provide selective support to them," emphasizing, "We will focus on selective support for self-employed individuals and small business owners who have been most affected."