"Three Years of Sewage Fees All at Once?" Citizens Hit with Massive Bills Due to Administrative Error

Goyang City Admits "Administrative Omission"... Confusion Over Retroactive Charges
Up to 2.7 Billion Won in Back Payments Notified to 2,000 Households

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province is facing strong public backlash after announcing its plan to retroactively charge up to three years of sewage fees to approximately 2,000 households, based on the results of a comprehensive inspection of households not previously billed for sewage usage conducted in March.

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province faced public backlash after an administrative error led to the retroactive billing of up to three years of sewage fees for approximately 2,000 households.

According to Goyang City on May 11, the city carried out a thorough investigation by the end of March this year to identify households that had not been billed for sewage usage fees. This action was prompted by the discovery of cases where, despite being connected to the public sewage system as part of past sewage pipeline maintenance projects, some households had not been charged due to administrative oversights and other errors.

The investigation revealed that about 2,000 households had not been billed for sewage fees, and the total unpaid amount for the past three years was estimated to reach up to 2.7 billion won. As a result, the city pre-notified residents that they would be required to pay for the most recent three years of fees, which are still within the statute of limitations. On average, each household was charged 1.35 million won.

However, the response from citizens has been cold. Many residents have expressed resentment and anger at the sudden demand to pay hundreds of thousands of won at once. One resident complained, "It was an administrative mistake that the fees were not charged, and now they're telling us to pay?this could be grounds for an administrative lawsuit." Another resident stated, "If there was an omission, it's right to pay the fees, but demanding payment all at once is too harsh," calling for more realistic alternatives.

In response, a Goyang City official admitted, "There were areas where data entry by district was omitted during the public sewage pipeline maintenance project," acknowledging the administrative error. However, the official added, "We are reviewing the possibility of reductions through legal review," indicating that the city is considering ways to ease the burden on citizens.

Goyang City plans to gather public opinion going forward and is considering measures such as establishing criteria for fee reductions and allowing installment payments in order to minimize citizen dissatisfaction.