The veterans ministry has issued guidelines advising local governments to increase their honorary allowances for veterans of the 1950-53 Korean war and the Vietnam War to help reduce discrepancies in payouts between regions, officials said Thursday. Under the guidelines, the ministry recommended that basic local governments and metropolitan governments gradually raise their monthly payments to 119,000 won ($88.97) and 109,000 won, respectively, by early 2029. The veterans ministry offers a monthly compensation of 490,000 won for veterans above the age of 70 who fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Additional allowances are separately given to the war veterans by basic local governments and the metropolitan governments, but the amounts of payouts have varied significantly between regions. For instance, the southwestern cities of Jeonju and Jeongeup offer a sum of 140,000 won, the lowest among cities and provinces, whereas Hwacheon county in the eastern Gangwon Province offers the highest amount of 660,000 won each month. The recommendations are not binding, but if implemented, the