Gyeonggi-do Expands License Plate Seizure Crackdown on Overdue Vehicles from '2 Times to 4 Times'

Gyeonggi Province will expand the crackdown on license plate seizures of delinquent vehicles from twice last year to four times this year.

On the 13th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will designate a quarterly “Delinquent Vehicle License Plate Seizure Crackdown Day” and conduct joint crackdowns on delinquent vehicles across all 31 cities and counties in cooperation with police stations, the Korea Expressway Corporation, and local governments. The first quarter crackdown is scheduled for the 26th of this month.

License plate seizures target vehicles with unpaid automobile taxes for three or more times or delinquent amounts exceeding 300,000 KRW, focusing on areas with high vehicle density such as apartments, large supermarkets, and public parking lots.

As of February this year, there are 151,794 vehicles with unpaid automobile taxes over the past three years, with a total delinquent amount of 58.4 billion KRW. In particular, habitual delinquent vehicles that have unpaid automobile taxes six or more times number 11,385, with a delinquent amount of 10.9 billion KRW, accounting for 19% of the total delinquent amount.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Before the joint crackdown, the 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province send advance notices of license plate seizures to delinquent vehicle owners to encourage voluntary payment.

Payment of delinquent local taxes such as automobile tax can be checked and paid immediately through the tax department of the vehicle registration jurisdiction, the Smart WITAX (application), or nearby bank CD/ATM machines.

Seized license plates can only be retrieved by visiting the relevant city or county office or financial institution and paying the full delinquent amount. Additionally, livelihood-type delinquent taxpayers operating cargo or delivery vehicles may postpone seizure through installment payments based on a payment agreement.

Separately, Gyeonggi Province will also conduct crackdowns on suspected “ghost cars” (daepocha), which are often misused to evade various legal responsibilities. If a ghost car is found on site, it will be forcibly towed, and the illegal activities of the vehicle occupant will be reviewed and converted into a violation case for strong enforcement.

No Seung-ho, Director of the Tax Justice Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, “While expanding joint crackdowns on habitual and chronic delinquent vehicles, we will continuously encourage payment through ongoing crackdowns on delinquent and ghost vehicles throughout the year.”

Meanwhile, last year, Gyeonggi Province collected 29.5 million KRW in delinquent taxes by seizing 1,395 license plates through joint crackdowns on delinquent vehicles conducted in the first and second halves of the year with local governments.