A record high 992 cases of fraudulent receipt of government subsidies totaling 66.77 billion won ($46.17 million) were detected last year, the budget ministry said Wednesday. The figure marks a 57.5 percent spike from 630 cases uncovered in 2024, also marking the largest number found in any one-year period, according to the Ministry of Planning and Budget. The ministry said the violations included false contracts with subcontractors, the establishment of shell companies and improper use of travel expenses. Once confirmed as fraudulent, offenders face sanctions including the recovery of subsidies and additional fines of up to five times the amount fraudulently received, the ministry said. “Fraudulent receipt of state subsidies undermines the government’s policy objectives and results in the waste of taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” Kang Young-kyu, a senior ministry official, said, pledging thorough follow-up measures against serious cases. The ministry said it will step up efforts to combat subsidy fraud by increasing the number of joint inspections with other relevant ministries from 600 la
