The amount of South Korean government allowances paid to those unemployed or seeking jobs soared to a record high of nearly 900 billion won in March, due largely to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Labor Ministry said on Monday that the government paid 898-point-two billion won in job-seeking allowances last month, up 40-point-four percent from 639-point-seven billion won a year earlier.

The previous monthly record was set in February when allowances totaled 781-point-nine billion won.

Job-seeking allowances paid from employment insurance funds include early reemployment incentive allowances and unemployment benefits.

Around 156-thousand people, many of them likely affected by the outbreak, applied for the allowances last month, up 24-point-eight percent on-year.