30,000 won loaded per child — valid through Dec. 31 this year

Accepted at more than 2,500 local restaurants; full list available on the Geumcheon-gu website

Guide to meal card usage
Guide to meal card usage

Geumcheon-gu will provide "holiday meal cards" to 1,330 children at risk of going hungry during the Chuseok holiday season.

The holiday meal card program is a Geumcheon-gu initiative that distributes prepaid meal cards to food-insecure children during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays. The district runs the program annually to prevent children from going without meals over the holiday period and to help them share warm family mealtimes.

This Chuseok, the program covers children who use the "Kkumnamu Card" — a government-issued welfare card for low-income youth — or receive food subsidies, as well as children who attend community child centers in the district.

Each eligible child will receive a prepaid meal card loaded with 30,000 won ($22). The cards can be used at more than 2,500 restaurants within Geumcheon-gu; a full list of participating establishments is available on the district's official website under the "Geumcheon News" section. The loaded balance must be used by Dec. 31, and any remaining amount will be automatically forfeited after that date.

Children who have previously received a holiday meal card can use the newly loaded balance immediately without reapplying. Those receiving the card for the first time, or those who have lost their card, can obtain one at their local community service center.

Geumcheon-gu has committed 42 million won in district funds to the project, aiming to ease the sense of exclusion felt by food-insecure children during the holidays and support their healthy development.

"I hope the holiday meal card can be a small help in letting children enjoy a happy holiday with their families," District Mayor Choi Ki-chan said. "We will continue to provide warm support so that Geumcheon's children can grow up bright and healthy."


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