Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Migrants face online harassment after posting gov’t aid coupons online
Residents apply for government-issued cash handouts at a community service center in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap
By Jung Da-hyun
A naturalized woman who migrated to Korea through marriage has faced xenophobic backlash after sharing photos of government-issued cash handouts on social media.
The incident comes amid the launch of the nationwide stimulus program, which began distributing relief vouchers on Monday to all Korean citizens residing in the country in an effort to boost domestic spending.
A Cambodian-born woman who recently obtained Korean citizenship posted a photo on social media of prepaid cards she received from the government, accompanied by the caption, “Thank you, Korea.” The image showed one card valued at 450,000 won ($327) and two additional cards worth 200,000 won each, totaling 850,000 won.
The woman reportedly received 400,000 won as a basic livelihood security beneficiary, plus an additional 50,000 won for residing in a sparsely populated rural area. The two 200,000 won cards appear to have been issued for her spouse and child.
After the post circulated online, it sparked a wave of hate and harsh criticism.
Comments such as “Give back my taxes,” “What did she do for Korea to receive 850,000 won?” and “This is exactly why I’m against marriage immigration” quickly gained traction online, fueling a surge of public backlash.
However, the woman met all the eligibility requirements for the government relief program as she became a naturalized Korean citizen in February. Despite that, she became the target of online hate, largely due to her appearance and non-Korean background.
The government initially excluded non-Koreans from the cash handout program. However, exceptions were later granted to certain groups — including foreign residents registered alongside Korean nationals, permanent residents, marriage migrants and recognized refugees. Like Korean citizens, these individuals contribute to the tax system through income taxes, local taxes and social insurance.
According to data from the Ministry of Justice, there are 154,038 permanent residents, 184,165 marriage migrants and 1,598 recognized refugees living in Korea as of May. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety estimates that approximately 358,000 foreigners are eligible to receive the relief coupons.