| The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has decided to change the way living allowances are provided to refugee applicants. Until now, living allowances have been paid by bank transfer. Beginning in September 2026, they will instead be provided as points loaded onto a payment card. (Reference: Ministry of Justice press release) This notice explains what is changing and highlights several important points you should be aware of. |
What is changing?
- The Ministry of Justice has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Woori Card to introduce a card-based payment system. Beginning in September 2026, living allowances will be provided as points loaded onto a Woori Card.
- During the transition period, both the current cash payment system and the new card-point system will operate until December 2026.
- From January 2027, the card-point system is expected to become the sole method of payment.
- If you are approved to receive living allowances, a Woori Card will be issued to you, and points equivalent to your allowance will be loaded onto the card.
The payment amount will not change
- Only the payment method is changing. The amount of financial assistance will remain the same.
- As of the current standard, the monthly allowance is approximately:
1) KRW 580,000 for a one-person household
2) KRW 1,500,000 for a four-person household
(The actual amount may vary depending on your individual case.)
What can be purchased with the card points?
- You can use the card to purchase: Food, Clothing, Daily necessities, Other essential goods
- You cannot use the card for: Entertainment or gambling-related businesses, Online shopping, Cash withdrawals, Money transfers to other people
Concerns and criticisms
- According to the Ministry of Justice, the policy change is intended to address two objectives. First, the Ministry states that cash payments make it difficult to monitor how living allowances are used and may increase the risk that the funds are used for purposes other than those intended. Second, the Ministry explains that the new system will improve access to financial services for refugee applicants from countries whose nationals have experienced difficulties opening bank accounts or obtaining payment cards. However, we have the following concerns.
- Difficulty paying expenses that require cash or bank transfers: Many essential living expenses, including rent, maintenance fees, utility bills, telecommunications charges, and some medical expenses, cannot be paid using card points because they require cash or bank transfers. We are concerned that no concrete solution has yet been presented for these expenses.
- Lack of evidence supporting concerns about "misuse": We are concerned that this policy appears to be based on the assumption that refugee applicants misuse their living allowances, despite the absence of clear evidence supporting such a claim.
- The policy was introduced without meaningful consultation with refugee applicants, refugee support organizations, or other relevant stakeholders.
- Refugee applicants may encounter unexpected difficulties during the process of obtaining or using the payment card.
- We have shared these concerns with the Ministry of Justice together with other organizations and will continue to advocate for improvements to the system.
What happens next?
- Important implementation details, including the application procedure, card issuance process, and measures for paying expenses such as rent, have not yet been finalized and are still under discussion. We will provide further updates as additional information becomes available.
- If you experience difficulties using your living allowance because of this new payment system, please share your experience with us by email. Your feedback will help us document the impact of the policy and advocate for improvements. (Contact: refucenter@gmail.com)
This notice is based on publicly available information and press release as of July 2026. We will update this notice once the Ministry of Justice publishes its official implementation guidelines.
