Incheon's Jemulpo-gu District (Mayor Kim Chan-jin) will hold a special year-end event for two months, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, offering an additional 5 percent cashback on purchases made with its local currency, Jemulpo e-Eum. The district has also extended the period during which it covers the issuance fee for standard cards to one year, up from the three months it originally planned. The district said the measures aim to ease residents' living costs during the year-end period, when spending peaks, and to channel that spending to local businesses.
 [The Korean Today] Notice for Jemulpo e-Eum year-end additional 5% cashback event © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Under the program, residents who pay with a Jemulpo e-Eum card at participating merchants within Jemulpo-gu during the event period will receive the 5 percent provided by the district on top of the basic 10 percent cashback offered by Incheon e-Eum. This means they will get back 15 percent of the amount spent. The benefit applies to up to 500,000 won in purchases per month under a combined limit that includes Incheon e-Eum spending.
Residents should note that the event runs within a set budget, meaning it may end before Dec. 31 if the funds are exhausted. To take full advantage of the benefit, residents are advised to plan their purchases at local merchants early in the event period.
The year-end event is largely intended to carry the momentum from the Chuseok holiday through the end of the year. The district held a 10-day Chuseok cashback event from Sept. 21 to 30, offering a total of 15 percent cashback. According to the district, the event boosted local spending and led to a rapid increase in the number of residents newly signing up for Jemulpo e-Eum cards.
Barriers to obtaining a card have also been lowered. The district expanded its support for standard card issuance fees from three months to one year, allowing any resident to obtain a standard card at no cost from Sept. 1, 2026, to Aug. 31, 2027. Residents who do not yet have a card can use the year-end cashback event as an opportunity to get one without paying a fee.
However, transportation cards are not covered by the fee support. In addition, starting Sept. 1, 2027, the day after the support period ends, issuance fees will be borne by individuals: 3,000 won for a standard card and 5,500 won for a transportation card.
Because local currency can be used only at merchants within the issuing area, larger cashback benefits tend to direct residents' spending to neighborhood shops and markets. The policy is significant in that it offers real savings to residents burdened by grocery and dining costs amid high inflation, while giving local merchants awaiting the year-end shopping season a chance to recover sales.
"We hope that active circulation of Jemulpo e-Eum at small businesses and traditional markets will bring added vitality to Jemulpo-gu's economy," Jemulpo-gu Mayor Kim Chan-jin said. Attention is now on whether the expanded year-end cashback following Chuseok and the extended free issuance period will translate into actual sales growth for local businesses.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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