▲ Kim Young-soo, First Deputy Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, announces the results of an investigation into the operation of meal cards for undernourished children at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on June 24.
The government announced that it has uncovered numerous cases of parents misusing meal cards, which are provided to children from low-income families, to purchase items such as alcohol and tobacco.
The Government Joint Anti-Corruption Drive Team under the Office for Government Policy Coordination announced the "Results of the Investigation into the Operation of Meal Cards for Undernourished Children," conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
A sample survey of one city, county, or district per region revealed that cases of using meal cards to purchase alcohol and tobacco were identified in 13 out of the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide.
While convenience stores have the technical capability to block the purchase of alcohol and tobacco, it was found that general grocery stores lacked the necessary systems, creating loopholes.
Other instances of misuse were also uncovered, such as parents taking the meal cards and making false daily transactions up to the limit, only to use the funds later for purchasing daily necessities.
The investigation found that more than 14% of all issued cards were used at least once at establishments unrelated to meals, such as private academies, hair salons, bars, and PC cafes.
Transactions made during late-night hours, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM—when the cards are unlikely to be used for meals—amounted to 9.3 billion won, accounting for approximately 4.4% of the total transaction volume.
Operational issues were also identified, such as local governments using separate card issuance systems instead of registering with the integrated welfare information system, "Happy e-Um," and failing to update changes in status, such as the death of a child or admission to a care facility.
Consequently, cases were discovered where parents continued to use their children's meal cards even after the children had passed away or had been separated from their families due to abuse.
The government stated that it would overhaul the payment system.
A system to restrict payments by item will be introduced at general grocery stores, and transactions at unauthorized establishments such as bars, as well as late-night payments, will be prohibited.
Local governments are required to register information in the Happy e-Um system after issuing cards and must periodically monitor for changes in eligibility and suspected cases of misuse.
Furthermore, the government plans to encourage the use of cards among undernourished children by sending text messages notifying them of their remaining balances to reduce unused funds.
As of 2024, the total amount of unused and expired funds from card recharges reached 17.1 billion won, which is 7.8% of the approximately 220.7 billion won in total recharged funds.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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