The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced today (October 18) that it will conduct an eight-week inspection through December 11 to identify vulnerable households in welfare blind spots for the fifth such investigation of 2026.

Five to six times a year, the ministry analyzes big data containing 49 types of crisis information, including utility cutoffs such as power and water, to predict and select households with a high likelihood of welfare crises and notify local governments.

Subsequently, local township, neighborhood, and district offices determine whether actual crisis situations exist through AI initial counseling and investigations by visiting health and welfare service teams, providing tailored support to the recipients.

The total target for this inspection is approximately 250,000 people.

This also includes 190,000 households at risk of welfare crises that are notified to local governments.

In particular, following a death in a household with a person with disabilities in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, last month, this inspection will intensively examine 13,000 households with people with disabilities who have a high need for assistance.

In addition, 17,000 people facing financial crises, such as victims of illegal private loans and those whose debt adjustments have been suspended, will also be examined.

In cooperation with the Financial Supervisory Service and the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service, the ministry will also launch an "emergency referral system" starting October 30. This system will promptly refer individuals who need welfare support during illegal private loan consultations from the illegal private loan damage reporting center and dedicated counters of the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service to local administrative offices.

Through this initiative, citizens experiencing livelihood difficulties due to illegal private loan damages will receive integrated support from damage counseling to welfare assistance.