제 27 호 Culture Vouchers in Korea: Usage, Options, and The Road To Improvement
Kicker: LIFE
Culture Vouchers in Korea:
Usage, Options, and The Road To Improvement
by Sumin Lee , Reporter
Have you ever actively used consumer coupons for people's livelihood recovery, an economic policy that has been implemented under the current Presidential administration in the Republic of Korea? This policy, which was implemented in the form of an extra budget of 13.9 trillion won to all citizens in the form of local currency to improve the economic recession in Korea, has gained popularity since the first day of the application period. In order to spread active consumer sentiment across the country in response to the popularity of consumer coupons for people's livelihood recovery, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance has provided 8.1 million copies of the five major consumption coupons consisting of accommodation, performance, exhibition, movies, and sports facility coupons which were a new kind of consumer policy business . This policy is being implemented for economic recovery through consumption in addition to the Seoul metropolitan area. In this article, I will introduce cultural consumption coupons by looking at how to apply, where to use them, and its limitations.
The Contents of Cultural Consumption Coupons
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250808500697
What Is The Cultural Voucher?
First of all, cultural consumption coupons are similar policies that discount a certain amount to accommodation, performances, and exhibitions outside the Seoul metropolitan area in order to spread consumer sentiment that has been revived since the government successfully implemented the consumer recovery coupon policy. The policy, which aims to revive the local economy, is characterized by the fact that it is actively promoting local consumption by issuing additional coupons that can only be used in non-metropolitan areas. In addition, there may be a consumption lottery event where you can win up to 20 million won in digital Onnuri gift certificates if you pay more than 50,000 won by credit card in rural areas.
A Broad Range of Cultural Vouchers
There are five types of coupons: accommodation, art exhibition, performance art, movies, and sports. Each coupon has a slightly different expiration date and application method, so you have to apply with this in mind. Broadly speaking, accommodation coupons can only be used if you reserve accommodation in non-metropolitan areas, and while art exhibitions and performance art coupons can be used in the metropolitan area until the end of the year, they have the property of being invalidated if not used by September 19th.
Specific Details of Each Coupon type
Furthermore, if you look at the characteristics of each coupon, in the case of accommodation coupons, the first application period is from August 20th to October 30th, and the second application period is from November 3rd to December 7th. Since accommodation coupons are only available when booking non-metropolitan accommodation products, they can only be issued on the website of 42 travel agencies such as 11th Street and Yanolja, and cannot be used on individual hotel sites. It is issued on a first-come, first-served basis at 10 a.m. every day, so if you need to issue it, you have to check the time and apply. Also, if the issued accommodation coupon is not used until 7 a.m. the next day, the issuance details will be initialized, so be careful. The discount amount is 30,000 won for products valued at 70,000 won or more and 20,000 won for those with valued less than 70,000 won per night, and more discounts can be received for 50,000 won and 30,000 won in Andong, a special disaster area, respectively.
In the case of art exhibitions and performance art coupons, the period of use is from August 9th to September 19th, and during this period, it will be issued at five online reservation destinations, including Norinter Park, Ticket Link, Yes 24, Melon Ticket, and Time Ticket, and can be applied at the time of reservation for discounts. Two coupons are issued per person, and in the case of art exhibition coupons, you can get a discount of 3,000 won per coupon and 10,000 won per coupon for performing arts. Unlike accommodation coupons, art exhibitions and performance coupons can be used in the Seoul metropolitan area, and if you watch performances or exhibitions in non-metropolitan areas, two more bonus coupons will be given, and a total of four coupons will be available. One thing to note when using this coupon is that the payment amount must exceed 15,000 won for the performance and 5,000 won for the exhibition, and it cannot be used for popular music and dance performances such as artist concert, dance festival.
In the case of movie coupons, if they are issued on July 25th, discount coupons of 6,000 won per ticket can be issued on the website of CGV, Lotte Cinema, Megabox, and Cinequeue, and must be used by September 2nd. Up to two copies can be issued per person, and it can be issued offline on a first-come, first-served basis at independent theaters and small theaters.
Lastly, in the case of Sports Coupon, the target is limited to senior citizens receiving basic pensions, and up to three tickets can be downloaded and used per person on the website exclusively for issuing coupons for sports facilities.
Additional Information And The Limitations of The Policy
Along with this policy, the government has raised the deduction limit for business promotion expenses for gift certificates from 0% to 20% so that companies can purchase Local gift certification, which can only be used in specific district, more actively. In addition, the prize event will be held from August 1st to October 9th, and digital onnuri gift certificates will be provided by lottery to the people who pay more than 50,000 won by credit card at traditional markets and small business stores nationwide. Critics have criticized the policy, but some say it is effective to invest in improving local tourist facilities in rural areas, as there are limitations and discrimination in increasing consumption even if there are discount coupons for non-metropolitan areas. In addition, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security argues that it is necessary to ease the preemptive limit on the use of consumer coupons and relax regulations on local gift certificates, as the current local gift certificates and Onnuri gift certificates do not provide real benefits to consumers in rural areas.
The government's next policy needs to be implemented to restore the local economy and explain active policies to the public and improve awareness, given that policies implemented to revive the economy are continuously implemented and planned to promote consumption in non-metropolitan areas.
Sources:
