'Gold Numbers' like 1111·7777
Purchased for Money from Agencies
Not Illegal but Faces Criticism for Impropriety
Experts Say "Industry is Open... Transparency Must Be Increased"
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[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Kim Mo (34), a sole proprietor, recently put a so-called "Gold License Plate" with four identical digits like '1111' on his third vehicle. Kim also attached such plates to his other two cars. He spent up to 10 million won just to purchase Gold Numbers. He said, "Since I run a business, I pay extra to buy Gold Numbers to leave a lasting impression on others," adding, "It feels special, like owning a limited edition item."
Vehicle registration numbers are assigned by vehicle registration offices in cities, counties, and districts nationwide according to the Automobile Management Act. When purchasing a car and registering it for the first time or applying to change an existing number, ten random numbers are drawn, and the driver can choose one from them. Therefore, one cannot arbitrarily select a vehicle number, nor can one keep drawing numbers until a desirable one appears. If the randomly drawn numbers are unsatisfactory, the applicant must try again on another day or visit a different office.
However, the story changes when using an agency. According to them, you can choose your preferred number simply by paying money, as if buying and selling goods. Numbers with sequences like '1234' or '7777' and meaningful numbers like '1004' or '7979' can cost from hundreds of thousands to millions of won depending on their rarity or difficulty to obtain. Many people seek these agencies mainly to attach such plates to expensive imported cars for show.
In fact, data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to Park Sung-joong, a member of the People Power Party, shows that from 2014 to 2017, most Gold Numbers with four identical digits or containing three zeros were concentrated on imported or high-end domestic cars. During this period, only 55 Hyundai i30s and 134 Accents were issued Gold Numbers, whereas 857 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and 499 BMW 5 Series vehicles received Gold Numbers.
Collecting Gold Numbers is not illegal, but buying and selling them for money has drawn criticism as inappropriate. Some suspect collusion, citing that retired public officials from vehicle registration offices sometimes start agencies.
It is an open secret in the industry that some dealers use illicit methods, such as secretly intercepting returned numbers, to secure good numbers. Professor Kim Pil-su of Daelim University's Department of Automotive Studies pointed out, "Unless you have connections to secure numbers, it is practically impossible to get good numbers every time," adding, "Transparency can be improved by minimizing external interference."
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