Seollal Celebration Seoul Sarang Gift Certificates Issued Worth 300 Billion Won

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 16th that it will issue 'Seoul Love Gift Certificates (Autonomous District)' worth 300 billion KRW to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the first major holiday of the new year. The city added that this issuance aims to support consumers burdened by increased costs for setting up ancestral rites tables due to continuous inflation and to help revitalize local commercial districts.

To facilitate smooth gift certificate purchases, issuance will be divided over two days to disperse simultaneous buyers as much as possible. Starting with Gangbuk-gu and Gwangjin-gu, 13 autonomous districts will be able to purchase on the 18th, and 12 autonomous districts including Jung-gu and Gangdong-gu on the 19th. The city plans to stagger sales dates and times by district from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 18th and 19th, dispersing simultaneous access to the gift certificate purchase and payment app 'Seoul Pay Plus' to ensure smooth purchases.

The Seoul Love Gift Certificates can be purchased at a 7% discount up to 700,000 KRW per person per month through five purchase and payment apps including 'Seoul Pay Plus.' They can only be used at affiliated stores within the issuing autonomous district; for example, the 'Jung-gu Love Gift Certificate' can only be used at affiliated stores within Jung-gu.

If the gift certificate is not used after purchase, it can be fully canceled regardless of the holding period. If part of the amount has been used, a refund of the remaining balance is only possible if more than 60% of the held amount has been spent. Gift certificate gifting is freely allowed within the holding limit.

To prevent a surge in simultaneous access, Seoul will restrict some functions such as store search (including nearby store search) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both the 18th and 19th, the days of gift certificate sales.

Additionally, to enable faster and more convenient gift certificate purchases, consumers are urged to download the Seoul Pay Plus app and register as members before the day prior to issuance. Registering at the time of issuance may cause processing delays or restrictions on membership registration due to system overload.

Jaeyong Park, Director of Labor, Fairness, and Coexistence Policy at Seoul City, said, “We have issued the Seoul Love Gift Certificates to protect small business owners and reduce the economic burden on households during the Lunar New Year holiday,” adding, “We hope this issuance will help citizens lighten their mental burden and enjoy a joyful Lunar New Year.”