Ahead of Chuseok, livelihood support vouchers issued by local governments across the country are translating into actual local consumption. According to announcements from each local government, everyday spending at restaurants and supermarkets has been recorded briskly since the early stages of disbursement. However, the payment amounts and application methods vary by local government, so it is important to check your region's procedures and required documents in advance before applying.

■ Sokcho: 54.7% Usage Rate Within Three Weeks of Disbursement

Sokcho City in Gangwon Province announced that nearly 7.8 billion won of its Livelihood Recovery Support Voucher had been converted into actual consumption within three weeks of the start of disbursement. As of August 9, a total of 14.227 billion won had been paid to 71,136 citizens, recording a disbursement rate of 89.2%. Of this, 7.783 billion won had been spent, representing a usage rate of 54.7% of the amount disbursed.

By industry, restaurants accounted for the largest share with 2.855 billion won, or 36.69% of total spending, followed by convenience stores, supermarkets, and marts at 1.615 billion won, or 20.76%. The two categories combined accounted for 57.45% of total spending. These were followed by clothing, miscellaneous goods, and eyewear at 7.71%, gas stations at 5.69%, and medical and health services at 5.62%. Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon said the vouchers quickly flowed into everyday consumption such as dining out and grocery shopping from the early stages of disbursement, and urged citizens to actively use them so the spending reaches local small business owners and neighborhood commercial districts.

■ Uiryeong County: 17% Application Rate on First Day… Apply at Eup/Myeon Community Centers by September 11

Uiryeong County in South Gyeongsang Province began disbursing a 500,000-won Livelihood Stabilization Support Voucher per resident on August 10, with about 17% of the 24,600 total eligible recipients—4,114 people—completing applications on the first day. Eligible recipients are residents registered in Uiryeong County as of June 30, 2026, as well as marriage immigrants and permanent residents.

Of the 500,000-won voucher, 200,000 won comes as a policy gift certificate with expanded usage, usable at Nonghyup and Chukhyup Hanaro Marts and gas stations within the county, while the remaining 300,000 won follows the existing usage criteria of the Uiryeong Love Gift Certificate. County Governor Oh Tae-wan visited the Uiryeong-eup office on the first day of disbursement to check the application process, saying he hopes the voucher will help residents' livelihoods at a time when high prices are compounded by a heat wave and drought. Applications can be made at the eup/myeon community center with jurisdiction over one's address by September 11, and the gift certificate is issued on-site upon application.

■ Tongyeong: Online Application Only via Mobile Zero Pay

Even for the same livelihood support voucher, application methods vary greatly by region. Tongyeong City accepts online applications only through its local love gift certificate system, Mobile Zero Pay. The application period runs from 9 a.m. on August 31 to 6 p.m. on October 30, and excluding the first day, online applications are only possible between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily. The application process proceeds in order of identity verification, entering application information, and completing the application.

■ Yeongdong County: Prior Registration on the chak App Required… Yeongdong Pay Must Be Used by December 31

Yeongdong County has somewhat stricter pre-application procedures. Before applying online, applicants must sign up for the chak app with a mobile phone in their own name and register the Rainbow Yeongdong Pay local gift certificate within the app. If the name and phone number registered in the app do not match the application information, it will be treated as an unregistered local gift certificate and Yeongdong Pay will not be disbursed.

Yeongdong Pay has been disbursed sequentially to residents who applied online starting September 1. The disbursed Yeongdong Pay must be used by December 31 of this year, and any unused balance will expire after the deadline.

■ Check Official Local Government Announcements Before Applying

As shown above, since the Chuseok livelihood support voucher is a program operated with each local government's own budget, not only the payment amounts but also the application methods and required documents differ by region. When preparing to apply online, failing to check procedures in advance—such as app registration or identity verification—may delay disbursement on the application day.

[The payment amounts, application periods, and disbursement methods by local government covered in this article are based on information as of the announcement date, and subsequent changes may occur due to local government budget execution, application deadlines, or disbursement procedures. Eligibility and the latest application schedules must be confirmed through the official announcements of your local government. AI assistance was used in part for this article.]