Postal Workers to Verify Store Closures to Prevent Fraudulent Subsidy Claims

[Economy 365]

The government is establishing an on-site verification system utilizing postal workers to prevent fraudulent claims for store demolition subsidies provided to small business owners who have closed their shops.

Previously, on-site inspections were conducted by personnel commissioned by private agencies to verify whether a store had been demolished. Moving forward, postal workers will verify business closures and store demolitions during their regular mail delivery rounds.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups explained that because postal workers visit their assigned areas repeatedly every day, they can more accurately determine whether a business has actually closed and if the space is vacant.

The ministry also projects that inspection costs will decrease from a maximum of 15,000 won per case to 4,280 won, and the number of inspections possible per day in the Seoul metropolitan area will increase from a maximum of 15 to an average of 83.

The government plans to conduct a pilot project in the Chungcheong region until next month before reviewing whether to expand the program nationwide.

*This article was produced using AI audio.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.