About 80,000 foreign residents in Seoul eligible for cash handouts

A sign posted on the window of a convenience store in Seoul, Sunday, informs customers that the shop accepts government vouchers. Yonhap

About 80,000 foreign residents in Seoul are expected to benefit from the central government's voucher-based cash handout of at least 150,000 won ($108), according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday.

The prepaid voucher program is limited to foreign residents who either have family ties to Korean nationals or meet specific eligibility criteria. Of the roughly 450,000 foreign residents in the capital, 17.8 percent, or an estimated 80,000, are expected to qualify.

The program is intended to provide financial relief to residents, easing living costs while boosting local economies.

Eligible recipients include foreign nationals listed on a resident registration that includes at least one Korean national and who are also enrolled in the national health insurance system as subscribers, dependents or medical aid beneficiaries.

Another group comprises households entirely made up of foreign nationals, which may qualify if they include a permanent resident or recognized refugee currently enrolled in the national health insurance system or receiving medical aid. It also includes marriage migrants who were formerly included in a Korean family registry, even if the marriage has ended in divorce or with the death of the Korean spouse.

Eligible foreign residents can begin applying for the vouchers at 9 a.m. Monday, using the same channels available to Korean nationals. Applications may be submitted via credit card company websites, the Seoul Pay+ app, other local gift certificate platforms or at community centers or affiliated bank branches. The vouchers will remain valid through the end of November.

To prevent system overload during the first week of applications, July 21–25, a rotation system based on birth year will be implemented during the week. Foreign residents can apply on designated days determined by the second digit of their foreign registration number: 1 or 6 on Monday, 2 or 7 on Tuesday, 3 or 8 on Wednesday, 4 or 9 on Thursday and 5 or 0 on Friday. The restriction will be lifted July 26.

As the first round of applications for the program is set to begin Monday, the city government has established a support system to help eligible foreign residents navigate language barriers and other challenges in the process.

Seoul's 18 foreign resident facilities and 26 family centers will offer guidance on eligibility verification, application procedures, protection against text message scams (smishing) and filing appeals when necessary. Each district office operates at least one family center, ensuring applicants have convenient access to support nearby.

To guard against phishing scams disguised as cash handout applications, the city will issue multilingual warnings through global.seoul.go.kr and mcfamily.or.kr. The notices will advise recipients to immediately delete any text messages containing suspicious URLs.

Starting Monday, multilingual staff will be stationed at foreign resident centers across Seoul to assist with applications. The Seoul Foreign Resident Center can be reached by calling 02-2229-4900 and will offer consultation services in seven languages, including English and Filipino.

“The city will ensure that foreign residents — integral members of Korean society — can apply for and access the benefits without difficulty, following the same procedures as Korean nationals,” said Lim Jai-geun, director of the immigration and foreign residents policy division of the city government. “We also ask eligible foreign residents to exercise extra caution to avoid falling victim to smishing scams.”