President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Thursday to make early payments of living allowances to social welfare recipients ahead of the Chuseok holiday, his office said. Living allowances are among the types of payments given to social welfare recipients, with around 1.67 million people receiving a total 760 billion won (US$569 million) on the 20th of every month. "On the occasion of the Chuseok holiday, make early payments of the living allowances before Chuseok to the recipients who are our society's vulnerable class," Yoon told Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong, according to presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon. This year's Chuseok holiday will stretch over five days, including the weekend, starting Sept. 14. The holidays are traditionally a time of visiting family members and exchanging gifts. Under the Yoon administration, the government has increased the living allowance by an annual average of 8.3 percent each year, raising the maximum monthly allowance for a four-member household by a re cord high 210,000 won this year. Source: Yonhap News Agency