Korea Oil Relief Fund Round 2 Complete Guide — Apply May 18, KRW 100K-250K, Birth-Year Scheduling
Trending · 2026.05.18
Korea oil relief fund round 2 opens today (May 18) — 70% of Koreans eligible, KRW 100,000–250,000 per person. Birth-year digit scheduling system this week. Card app application is fastest. Deadline July 3, use-by August 31.
Starting at 9 a.m. today, May 18, the Korean government’s second round of high oil price relief payments is open for applications. Approximately 32.56 million Koreans (70% of the population) are eligible for KRW 100,000–250,000 per person. The policy compensates for living cost pressures caused by WTI crude surging to $102 (+57%) amid the US-Iran war.
“This is to ease the burden on citizens suffering from high oil prices, high inflation, and a weak won, and to revitalise local economies.”
— Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety · May 11, 2026
Am I Eligible? Three Filters: Health Insurance Premium + Property Tax + Financial Income
Eligibility is determined by the combined household health insurance premium assessed in March 2026 (bottom 70% of income). Two additional exclusion criteria apply: 2025 property tax base exceeding KRW 1.2 billion (approx. public price KRW 2.67 billion for a single home), or 2024 financial income exceeding KRW 20 million — either disqualifies the entire household.
For employee-insured single-earner households, the monthly premium ceiling is: 1-person KRW 130,000 / 2-person KRW 140,000 / 3-person KRW 260,000 / 4-person KRW 320,000 / 5-person KRW 390,000 / 6-person KRW 440,000.
Check your premium: National Health Insurance Service (nhis.or.kr) or the “The건강보험” app. Property tax: Hometax → Instant Certificate. Financial income: Hometax → My Income/Year-End Settlement.
Payment Amounts by Region — KRW 100K to 250K Per Person
A rural priority principle applies — residents in depopulating areas receive more. A family of four in Seoul receives KRW 400,000 total; in Busan KRW 600,000; in designated depopulation special areas up to KRW 1,000,000.
| Region | Per Person | Family of 4 | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital region | KRW 100,000 | KRW 400,000 | Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi |
| Non-capital region | KRW 150,000 | KRW 600,000 | Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, Sejong etc. |
| Depopulation priority (49 areas) | KRW 200,000 | KRW 800,000 | Ganghwa (Incheon), Gapyeong (Gyeonggi) etc. |
| Depopulation special (40 areas) ★ | KRW 250,000 | KRW 1,000,000 | Yanggu (Gangwon), Boeun (Chungbuk) etc. |
Birth-Year Digit Scheduling — Can You Apply Today?
During the first week (May 18–22), applications are restricted by the last digit of the applicant’s birth year to prevent server overload. Today, May 18 (Mon): last digit 1 or 6 (e.g., born 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001). From May 25 (Mon), open applications with no restriction. Deadline: July 3 at 6 p.m.
- Mon 5/18 — last digit 1 or 6: born 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006
- Tue 5/19 — last digit 2 or 7: born 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007
- Wed 5/20 — last digit 3 or 8: born 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008
- Thu 5/21 — last digit 4 or 9: born 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009
- Fri 5/22 — last digit 5 or 0: born 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010
Five Application Channels — Card App Is Fastest
Applying through your card company’s app (Shinhan SOL Pay, KB Pay, Paybook, etc.) is the most efficient method. The payment is automatically loaded to your card the next day and auto-deducted at participating merchants. Tax deduction eligibility applies as with normal card spending.
Where Can You Spend It? Small Businesses + Gas Stations (No Large Retailers or Online)
Eligible merchants are small businesses with annual revenue under KRW 3 billion. All gas stations are eligible regardless of revenue (the policy’s primary intent is to offset fuel costs). Traditional markets, neighbourhood supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, hair salons are all included.
Not allowed: Large retailers (E-Mart, Lotte Mart, HomePlus, Costco), department stores, online shopping (Coupang, G-Market, SSG, 11st), entertainment venues, gambling-related businesses, or gold/jewellery shops. Delivery apps: only “pay-in-person” orders work — card payment within the app is rejected.
Five-Step Process + Smishing (SMS Phishing) Alert
- Pre-notification: Sent via ~20 mobile apps (Kakao, Toss, Naver, KB Pay etc.) from May 16 — check your eligibility, amount, dates.
- Eligibility check: Available from 9 a.m. May 18 via card company apps, call centres, NHIS website, or community offices.
- Apply: On your scheduled day, open card app → identity verification → confirm household/amount → agree → done (~90 seconds).
- Load: Auto-loaded to your card the next day. Confirmation via SMS/KakaoTalk/app push.
- Spend: Auto-deducted at eligible merchants. Must be used by August 31 at midnight — unused balance is forfeited.
Smishing alert: The government and card companies never send text messages with URL links for this payment. Any message saying “Apply here ▶ http://…” is 100% a scam. Report to KISA 118 immediately. Never install APK files from unknown sources.
Korea Oil Relief Fund Round 2 — Three Dates to Remember
① May 18 (today) 9 a.m. — applications open / ② July 3 6 p.m. — application deadline (no payment if missed) / ③ August 31 midnight — use-by deadline (unused balance forfeited). Add all three to your calendar now. Note: once submitted, you cannot cancel or change your card company.
