Local governments pushing to hand out additional pandemic relief money
Several local governments are planning to dole out a second round of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to help residents cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, informed officials said Saturday. The government of Daegu, the city hit hard by the outbreak months earlier, announced a plan earlier this week to pay 100,000 won (US$83) each to all its 2.42 million residents this fall, as part of a second disaster relief package.The city, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said it will raise 243 billion won, including 51.2 billion won from state coffers, to finance the new package, noting the actual payments will begin after the central government's ongoing emergency relief program ends Aug. 31."All citizens will receive relief money of 100,000 won per person," said Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin in a news conference Thursday, expressing hope that the payment will be completed before Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, which falls Oct. 1 this year.In April, Daegu implemented its first disaster relief program, paying 500,000 won to 900,000 won each to about 450,
Jul 18, 2020