The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday that Tteuntteun Money, a government program that rewards participants with points for taking part in sports activities, has doubled its number of participants compared with the same period last year, driving broader public engagement in everyday sports.
Now in its fourth year, Tteuntteun Money allows participants to accumulate points — up to 50,000 points per person — by exercising for 30 minutes or more at a time. The points can be converted into sports gift vouchers.
Participation has surged even after the ministry cut the points awarded per 30 minutes of activity from 1,000 to 500 this year. As of late July, about 700,000 people had accumulated points — roughly double the figure from the same period last year. The average time each participant spent on sports activities also rose by two hours, a 19 percent increase from last year, indicating that people are exercising more consistently in their daily lives.
A dedicated app launched in March lets users accumulate, check and convert their points with ease. In June, the program expanded its eligible activities beyond running to include stair climbing and hiking through a tie-up with private fitness apps. Starting later this month, the ministry plans to broaden the range of certifiable outdoor sports activities to include mountain climbing.
Since Wednesday, users have been able to convert their points into Gyeonggi Province's regional currency in addition to the existing Zero Pay sports vouchers. The expansion has increased the number of facilities where points can be spent to about 80,000 — a roughly 30 percent increase.
Kim Dae-hyeon, the ministry's second vice minister, said the ministry plans to keep expanding the program's scale so that everyone can enjoy sports in their daily lives without financial burden and feel the benefits of better health and lower medical costs.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
