Lee criticizes local welfare cards exposing income levels

President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday sharply criticized local governments in Busan and Gwangju for issuing prepaid welfare cards in different colors by amount, saying the practice exposed recipients’ income levels.

Lee was quoted as saying the measure was a provider-centered administrative convenience gravely lacking in human rights sensitivity, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung during a briefing in Yongsan.

The consumption coupons, intended to stimulate local economies, range in value from 150,000 won to 550,000 won based on household income. The top 10 percent of earners receive the minimum amount, while lower-income groups, including single-parent households and welfare beneficiaries, are eligible for larger sums.

In both Gwangju and Busan, the coupons were issued as prepaid cards in different colors corresponding to the amount. In Gwangju, pink cards were distributed to the general public (180,000 won), green to single-parent households (330,000 won), and navy blue to recipients of basic livelihood support (430,000 won).

Complaints soon followed, as critics argued that lower-income individuals, many of whom are unable to obtain credit cards and must rely on prepaid cards, were being publicly identified by card color, effectively revealing their financial status.

Kang said the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has launched a comprehensive review of prepaid card practices across local governments. “Stickers have been applied to the problematic cards in Busan and Gwangju to conceal their colors,” she said.

She added that the government will move swiftly to address any problems or public concerns that arise in the issuance, distribution, or use of the consumption coupons.


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