When fuel prices and everyday living costs rise at the same time, the first place the burden grows is in daily expenses such as commuting, grocery shopping, and hospital visits. This second application round for the 2026 High Oil Price Relief Support Fund has broad eligibility and a fixed application period, so anyone who may qualify should first check the application dates and usage deadline.
Complete Guide to 2026 High Oil Price Relief Support Fund 2nd-Round Application Dates
Eligibility, Amounts, Five-Day Schedule, and Where to Use It at a Glance
Applications for the second round of the 2026 High Oil Price Relief Support Fund will run from 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18, to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3. The second-round payment targets 70% of residents based on income criteria and other factors, with differentiated payments from KRW 100,000 to KRW 250,000 per person depending on region of residence.
The High Oil Price Relief Support Fund is intended to reduce household cost burdens caused by high oil prices, high inflation, and a high exchange rate, while helping revive spending at local small businesses. This second application round targets 70% of the general population, and basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty households, and single-parent families who missed the first round may also apply during the second round.
However, anyone who already applied and received payment during the first round cannot apply again or receive duplicate payment in the second round. The support is not deposited as cash immediately upon application; it is provided through the selected payment method, such as credit/debit card top-up, local love gift certificates, or prepaid cards.
Basic Information on the Second Round of the High Oil Price Relief Support Fund
Support Amounts Differ by Region of Residence
| Category | Payment for general second-round recipients | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul metropolitan area residents | KRW 100,000 per person | Residents of Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and other metropolitan areas receive KRW 100,000 under the general criteria |
| Non-metropolitan area residents | KRW 150,000 per person | Non-metropolitan areas receive KRW 50,000 more support than the metropolitan area |
| Preferential support areas for population decline | KRW 200,000 per person | Check whether your local government of residence is a preferential support area |
| Special support areas for population decline | KRW 250,000 per person | Special support areas receive up to KRW 250,000 under the general second-round criteria |
Five-Day Schedule for the First Week of Applications
To reduce congestion at the start of registration, during the first week applications are divided by day according to the last digit of birth year. Check based on the final digit of your birth year.
| Application date | Day | last digit of birth year | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | Monday | 1, 6 | Born in 1971, 1986, 1991 |
| May 19 | Tuesday | 2, 7 | Born in 1972, 1987, 1992 |
| May 20 | Wednesday | 3, 8 | Born in 1973, 1988, 1993 |
| May 21 | Thursday | 4, 9 | Born in 1974, 1989, 1994 |
| May 22 | Friday | 5, 0 | Born in 1975, 1980, 1995 |
After the first week, you can apply without day-of-week restrictions.
However, offline offices may extend day-of-week restrictions depending on local government circumstances, so it is safest to check the operating guidance of your local eup/myeon/dong administrative welfare center before visiting a community service center.
Eligibility Selection Criteria
Household composition criteria
People listed together on the resident registration record as of March 30, 2026, are considered one household. Even if addresses differ, a spouse and children who are dependents under the National Health Insurance Act may be considered part of the same economic unit.
Health insurance premium criteria
Selection criteria by household size and insurance type are applied based on the household's combined self-paid health insurance premiums charged in March 2026. Standards may differ depending on whether members are employee-insured, locally insured, or part of a mixed household.
High-asset households excluded
If the total 2025 property tax assessment base of household members exceeds KRW 1.2 billion, or if total financial income attributed to 2024 exceeds KRW 20 million, all household members are excluded from payment eligibility.
Dual-income and separate households
Parents with different addresses are generally treated as separate households even if they are dependents. Dual-income couples are treated as separate households, but if combined couple insurance premiums are more favorable, they may be recognized as the same household.
Application Methods Differ by Payment Method
You can apply online through the website, app, call center, or ARS of the card company you use. You may also be able to apply at bank branches linked to the card, but availability can vary by branch, so check before visiting.
You can apply through listed apps such as KakaoBank, Toss, Kbank, KakaoPay, and Naver Pay. Check whether the High Oil Price Relief Support Fund menu is available in the app you use.
For mobile or card-type local love gift certificates, you can apply through the local love gift certificate app or website of the local government for your address. App names and operating methods may differ by region.
You can visit the eup/myeon/dong administrative welfare center, community service center, or eup/myeon office for your address to apply and receive it. Older adults or people with disabilities who have difficulty applying online can also check whether their local government offers visiting application services.
Application Hours and Payment Timing
| Category | Operating hours | Payment timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online application | Available 24 hours during the period | Topped up or paid the day after application | From 9:00 a.m. on the first day and until 6:00 p.m. on the final day |
| Community service center visit | Weekdays 9:00 a.m.~6:00 p.m. | Prepaid cards and paper gift certificates can be received | Check with the local government for weekend/holiday operation |
| Bank branch | 9:00 a.m.~4:00 p.m. | Card company-linked application | Advance confirmation of application availability by branch is recommended |
| Objection filing | May 18~July 17, 2026 | Individual notification after review | Submit through e-People or an eup/myeon/dong administrative welfare center |
Pre-Application Checklist
- Check whether you already applied and received payment during the first round.
- Check the eligible application day in the first week based on the last digit of your birth year.
- Decide whether to receive it by credit/debit card, local love gift certificate, or prepaid card.
- If you need to check health insurance premium criteria, verify your premium with the National Health Insurance Service.
- Property tax assessment bases can be checked through Wetax, and financial income can be checked through Hometax.
- If you object to your eligibility or amount, prepare to file an objection through e-People or a community service center.
Eligible Regions and Places to Use the Funds
Because the High Oil Price Relief Support Fund is intended to help restore local livelihood economies, the region where it can be used is restricted. Residents of special/metropolitan cities, Sejong, and Jeju may use it within the relevant special city, metropolitan city, special self-governing city, or special self-governing province, while residents of provincial areas may use it within the city or county of their address.
| Category | Usage criteria | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Special/metropolitan city residents | Use within the relevant special or metropolitan city | A resident of Jung-gu, Seoul, may use it within Seoul Special City |
| Provincial area residents | Use within the city/county of address | A resident of Cheongju, Chungbuk, may use it within Cheongju |
| Local love gift certificates | Participating local love gift certificate merchants under the local government for your address | Mainly participating merchants with annual sales of KRW 3 billion or less |
| Credit/debit/prepaid cards | Small-business stores with annual sales of KRW 3 billion or less, excluding restricted business categories | Neighborhood marts, restaurants, pharmacies, hospitals, optical shops, academies, etc. |
| Gas stations | Usable without annual sales limits | Exception applied in line with the purpose of high oil price support |
Places Where Use May Be Restricted
Use may be restricted at online shopping malls, entertainment/gambling businesses, cash-equivalent businesses, and similar places. Use may also be restricted at kiosks or some table-order systems that use PG payment processing. In such cases, it is best to check whether face-to-face payment through the store's own terminal is possible.
For delivery apps, the payment method matters. Online prepayment may be restricted in general delivery apps, but face-to-face payment through a store terminal, such as pay-on-delivery, may be usable in some cases. If you received local love gift certificates, direct payment through public delivery apps may be available in some regions.
Eligibility Lookup and Notification Service
You can check whether you are eligible from 9:00 a.m. on May 18.
You can check through card company websites, apps, call centers, and ARS; local love gift certificate apps; the National Health Insurance Service website/app; card-linked bank branches; eup/myeon/dong administrative welfare centers; and other official channels.
You can also use the National Secretary notification service.
If you apply for the notification service through the Naver app, KakaoTalk, Toss, the National Secretary website, and similar channels, you can receive customized guidance on the payment amount, application period, application method, usage deadline, and more.
When an Objection May Be Needed
1. If you are shown as ineligible but your circumstances have changed
If family relationships changed due to marriage, birth, or similar events after March 30, 2026, the eligibility selection reference date, or if a health insurance premium adjustment is needed due to reduced income, you may consider filing an objection.
2. If the payment amount differs from what you expected
The payment amount may vary depending on your region of residence, whether the area is designated as a population-decline area, household composition, and health insurance premium criteria. If you believe the lookup result is incorrect, you can file an objection through e-People or a community service center.
3. The priority is not missing the application period
The second-round application period ends at 6:00 p.m. on July 3. Although the objection filing period runs until July 17, it is safest to complete the basic application itself within the deadline first.
Beware of Smishing Text Messages
The government, card companies, and local currency issuers state that they do not send text messages containing URL links related to the High Oil Price Relief Support Fund. Messages instructing you to tap an internet address in a text to apply may be smishing, so it is safest not to access them and to delete them.
Applications must be made only through official channels such as the card company app you use, the card company website, local love gift certificate app, community service center, or bank branch. Be especially cautious of texts requesting personal or financial information under the pretext of checking support eligibility, applying on your behalf, or paying a refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When do applications for the second round of the High Oil Price Relief Support Fund begin?
A. They begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026. The application deadline is 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Q. Can I apply on any day during the first week?
A. No. During the first week, a five-day schedule based on the last digit of birth year applies. May 18 is for 1·6, May 19 for 2·7, May 20 for 3·8, May 21 for 4·9, and May 22 for 5·0.
Q. Can basic livelihood recipients who missed the first round also apply?
A. Basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty households, and single-parent families who did not apply during the first application period can apply during the second application period. However, if you already applied and received payment in the first round, you cannot apply again.
Q. Is the support fund deposited in cash?
A. It is not paid as a cash bank transfer. It is paid through the selected payment method, such as credit/debit card top-up, local love gift certificates, or prepaid card. If you apply by credit/debit card, guidance states that it will be topped up the day after application.
Q. What is the usage deadline?
A. It must be used by 24:00 on Monday, August 31, 2026. Any balance not used within the deadline cannot be used afterward, so it is best to check both eligible merchants and your remaining balance after applying.
Q. Can it also be used at gas stations?
A. Gas stations are indicated as places where it can be used without annual sales limits, in line with the purpose of high oil price support. However, actual payment availability may depend on the payment method and merchant terminal conditions, so it is best to confirm on site.
Conclusion
The three most important points for the second round of the 2026 High Oil Price Relief Support Fund are as follows. First, check your application period and your five-day schedule day. Second, eligibility may vary depending on health insurance premiums and high-asset exclusion criteria, so check your lookup result. Third, the support you receive must be used by August 31 at eligible merchants in the region governing your address.
In particular, many users may access the system during the first week, so it is wise to check in advance the date that matches the last digit of your birth year. If online application is difficult, you can use a community service center or a card-linked bank branch, but checking operating hours and application availability before visiting can help avoid a wasted trip.
Even if you receive a text message about applying for the support fund, it is safest not to tap it immediately if it contains a link. Apply only through verified channels such as official apps, websites, and community service centers, and check eligible merchants and the usage deadline so you can use the full amount within the deadline.
※ Application dates, eligibility, benefit amounts, and eligible merchants may change according to official government, local-government, and card-company notices. Before applying, always confirm your own eligibility and the latest notice through official channels such as Government24, your card issuer, local gift-certificate apps, or a community service center.