SEOUL -- South Korea was able to disburse relief payments to 97% of all households in about two weeks by using a novel method that offers a lesson to other governments scrambling to rescue economies from the impact of the coronavirus.
The swift process also offers a contrast to that in Japan, where the government in mid-April decided to provide 100,000 yen (about $930) handouts to all residents, many of whom are still waiting for their subsidy.