Seoul, South Korea –  Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that it will issue 750 billion won worth of “Regional Seoul Love Gift Certificates” at a 5% discount, which can be used at any local business in all 25 districts starting January 8th.   

The city plans to issue a total of 1.5 trillion won worth of regional gift certificates this year, with half of that amount being released early in the year.

“Given the prolonged high inflation and political uncertainties that have dampened consumer sentiment, we decided to issue the gift certificates early to support struggling small businesses and revitalize the local economy,” the city explained.

To prevent server overload, the sale of gift certificates will be divided by the last digit of the purchaser's birth year.

On January 8th, those born in odd-numbered years can purchase the certificates from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, while those born in even-numbered years can purchase them from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A total of 375 billion won will be issued during each time slot. The gift certificates will be sold at a 5% discount, with a maximum purchase limit of 300,000 won per person. The total balance of regional gift certificates held by an individual is capped at 1 million won, so it is recommended to check the existing balance before purchasing.   

The gift certificates are valid for five years from the date of purchase. If purchased with cash (bank transfer), a refund can be obtained if more than 60% of the certificate's value has been used. Gifting is allowed up to 1 million won per month. However, refunds and gifting are not available for purchases made with credit cards.   

Gift certificates can be purchased through the “Seoul Pay Plus” app. City officials stated, “To shorten the purchase time, we recommend downloading the app in advance, completing the registration process, and pre-registering your bank account or credit card information for payment.” To ensure a stable system operation on the day of issuance, the “Find a Merchant” and “Gift Certificate” functions of the Seoul Pay Plus app will be temporarily suspended from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM.   

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