A Study of COVID-19 Pandemic and Disaster Relief Fund - The Case of Emergency Disaster Relief Fund in Korea -

The COVID-19 pandemic has enormously damaged society. An emergent social consensus notes the necessity of universal economic protection due to this pandemic’s unprecedented disaster. This study examines diverse policy aspects of the emergency disaster relief fund(EDRF) that the Korean government introduced as a policy instrument to support the vulnerable of COVID-19. The Korean government has demonstrated a very effective implementation process through various electronic payment techniques, including vouchers and cash transfers in local currencies and credit cards. The implementation of the EDRF and its delivery process has been significantly efficient and transparent. It appears that the EDRF generated massive positive effects on citizen’s satisfaction and wellbeing. This policy experience from the EDRF case contributes to understanding how to design and implement better policy tools for diasters’ vulnerable populations in the future.