[Korea Federation of SMEs]
[Korea Federation of SMEs]

Promotion open to new online subscribers through June 30

16 character emoticons also on offer

Online enrollment hours extended to 7 a.m.–11:50 p.m.

Yellow Umbrella is offering new online subscribers a Naver Pay mobile coupon and character emoticons throughout June.

The Korea Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (KBIZ) announced Monday it will run the "Yellow Umbrella Online Enrollment Promotion" through June 30.

Small business and self-employed owners who sign up for Yellow Umbrella through its website or mobile app will receive a 50,000 won ($33) Naver Pay mobile coupon along with 16 emoticons featuring the scheme's mascots "Kkumi & Sani."

KBIZ also extended online enrollment hours to improve customer convenience. Starting May 28, the daily enrollment window expanded from 9 a.m.–10 p.m. to 7 a.m.–11:50 p.m., making the service more accessible to small business owners who want to sign up late at night or in the early morning.

Yellow Umbrella is a mutual aid scheme that has operated since 2007 to help small business and self-employed owners maintain lifestyle stability and rebuild after crises such as closure or retirement. As of last month, the program had more than 1.89 million active subscribers.

Subscribers can receive an income deduction of up to 6 million won ($3,990) per year. Contributions earn annual compound interest, and benefits are legally protected from seizure, allowing them to serve as a minimum financial safety net in times of crisis.

New subscribers may also receive a "Hope Incentive" grant offered by local governments, which adds 10,000 to 30,000 won (about $20) per month to contributions for 12 months. This year, 17 metropolitan and provincial governments and 110 municipal governments nationwide are running the Hope Incentive program.

"We improved the online system for small business and self-employed owners who are too busy during working hours to sign up for Yellow Umbrella," said Lee Chang-ho, head of KBIZ's mutual aid business division. "We hope the extended enrollment hours and this promotion will bring more people into the Yellow Umbrella social safety net."


hong@heraldcorp.com