Veterans Ministry urges local authorities to raise war veteran allowances

South Korea's veterans ministry released advisory guidelines aimed at reducing regional disparities in honorariums for Korean War and Vietnam War veterans. It suggests that basic local governments gradually increase their monthly payments to 119,000 won, while metropolitan governments should reach 109,000 won by early 2029. Presently, supplemental allowances differ sharply across jurisdictions; Jeonju and Jeongeup provide the lowest sum of 140,000 won, whereas Hwacheon county in Gangwon Province offers the highest at 660,000 won.

The guidance is voluntary, but adoption would lift the lowest combined local and metropolitan allowance to 230,000 won, up from one outlet 140,000 won, and push the national average to roughly 306,000 won, compared with today’s 268,000 won. The ministry’s baseline targets the bottom 80 percent of payouts, set at 120,000 won for basic local governments and 110,000 won for metropolitan ones.