"Soldiers Living in Seongdong-gu Are Lucky"... Active-Duty Service Members to Receive 100,000 Won for Cultural and Sports Activities

Eligibility Expanded to Households at or Below 150% of Median Income

Seongdong-gu in Seoul is expanding its support program for cultural and sports activity expenses for active-duty soldiers, starting this year, to enhance the welfare of young service members.

This program, which was first launched by Seongdong-gu in 2016?the first of its kind in the country?aims to help soldiers recharge during their leave. It has been continuously operated since then, with a total of 622 soldiers benefiting from it up to last year.

Currently, this program is the only one of its kind among the 25 districts of Seoul and has received a strong response from many active-duty soldiers. Accordingly, beginning in June this year, Seongdong-gu has eased the eligibility criteria from households at or below 100% of the median income to those at or below 150% of the median income. The support amount has also been increased from 50,000 won to 100,000 won.

This measure is intended to address blind spots where soldiers are excluded from support due to exceeding income thresholds, such as in the case of dual-income families. It is also aimed at strengthening recognition and respect for soldiers currently fulfilling their military service.

In 2018, Seongdong-gu expanded the eligibility from recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security Program and the near-poor to households at or below 100% of the median income. Starting this year, the standard has been further eased to households at or below 150% of the median income, allowing more active-duty soldiers to benefit from the program. Applications can be submitted online by the soldiers themselves or their families through the district office website, or in person at the local community service center in their area of residence.

Jung Wonoh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "We decided to expand this program to provide practical, if modest, support so that young people can faithfully fulfill their military duty," adding, "We will continue to implement policies that help young people feel pride in their military service and serve as a strong foundation as they transition into society."