Gangwon-do, Public Disclosure of List of High-Amount and Habitual Local Tax Delinquents

On the 20th, 250 people owed over 10 million won each... The highest individual arrears amount to 590 million won

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) disclosed the list of 250 high-amount and habitual tax delinquents who have failed to pay local taxes and local administrative sanctions/levies of 10 million KRW or more for over one year as of January 1, 2024, on the 20th, on the Gangwon Province website and Wetax.

A panoramic view of Gangwon Provincial Government Office. Photo by Gangwon Provincial Government

The disclosed list includes the names of the delinquents, business names (corporate names), ages, occupations, addresses, and delinquent tax items. If the delinquent is a corporation, the name of the corporate representative is also disclosed.

Gangwon Province conducted a first review by the Local Tax Deliberation Committee, provided prior notice to those scheduled for disclosure, gave them an opportunity to explain for more than six months, and finalized the disclosure targets through a second review by the Local Tax Deliberation Committee.

The total amount of delinquent taxes for the high-amount and habitual delinquents disclosed this time reaches 10.7 billion KRW, of which 229 individuals owe 9.9 billion KRW in local taxes, and 21 individuals owe 800 million KRW in local administrative sanctions/levies. If a delinquent pays the outstanding amount after the list is disclosed, they may be removed from the list.

To enhance the effectiveness of delinquent tax collection, Gangwon Province plans to entrust the Korea Customs Service with seizure and public auction of goods imported by the delinquents immediately after the list disclosure to collect the delinquent amounts.

The delinquent with the highest outstanding amount among those disclosed this time is as follows.

△ Local Tax (Individual): Go Woo-jin (Wonju), 594 million KRW (local income tax, etc.)

△ Local Tax (Corporation): Hwaseung D&C Co., Ltd. (Sokcho), 778 million KRW (acquisition tax)

△ Non-Tax Revenue (Individual): Gong Gyeong-won (Wonju), 128 million KRW (enforcement penalty)

△ Non-Tax Revenue (Corporation): Oeongchi Village New Rural Construction Movement Promotion Committee (Sokcho), 204 million KRW (penalty charge)

Jeon Gil-tak, Director of the Administrative Bureau of Gangwon Province, stated, “The disclosure of the list is an indirect coercive measure against high-amount and habitual delinquents, serving to raise awareness among delinquents and is an important step toward realizing fair tax justice.” He emphasized, “For delinquents who deliberately conceal assets or evade tax payments, we will respond thoroughly through various delinquent tax enforcement measures such as asset concealment investigations, travel bans, asset seizures, and public auctions in addition to the list disclosure.”