230,000 Cases of Overloading Crackdowns in the Past 5 Years, but Fine Collection Rate Stuck at 70%

229,615 Cases Detected and 124.3 Billion Won in Fines Imposed from 2020 to July 2025
Collection Rate Stagnates in the 70% Range, Raising Concerns Over Effectiveness
Overloading Beyond 110% of Vehicle Capacity Is Illegal Under the Road Traffic Act; Fines Up to 200,000 Won
"Urgent Need to Strengthen Oversight of Overloading, Poor Loading, and Illegal Modifications"

In the past five years, the number of crackdowns on overloaded cargo trucks has reached 230,000 cases, yet the collection rate for related fines remains in the 70% range. Critics point out that this undermines the effectiveness of legal sanctions against repeated overloading violations.

Myungsoo Son, Office of Myungsoo Son

According to data submitted by Representative Myungsoo Son of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee (Yongin-si-eul, Gyeonggi Province), from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a total of 229,615 cases of overloaded cargo trucks were detected nationwide between 2020 and July 2025. The total amount of fines imposed reached approximately 124.3 billion won.

The number of annual crackdowns was as follows: 44,002 cases in 2020, 44,431 cases in 2021, 40,653 cases in 2022, 39,609 cases in 2023, and 38,447 cases in 2024. Around 40,000 cases of overloading have been repeatedly detected each year. As of July this year, 22,473 cases have already been identified.

Although fines are consistently imposed each year, the collection rate remains stagnant. In 2020, fines totaling 24.2 billion won were imposed, but only 66.7% were collected. The collection rates were 70.4% in 2021, 75.5% in 2022, 76.8% in 2023, and 76.3% in 2024, showing only a slight increase. Still, about one out of every three fines remains unpaid. As of July this year, 11.2 billion won in fines have been imposed, but the collection rate stands at just 72.6%.

The current Road Traffic Act stipulates that the loading weight of cargo trucks must not exceed 110% of the vehicle's performance capacity. Violations are subject to fines of up to 200,000 won, detention, or minor fines. However, the number of violations and the low collection rate indicate that legal penalties are not serving as an effective deterrent.

Representative Myungsoo Son emphasized, "We must not neglect the issue of overloading, which can lead to road damage, increased maintenance costs, and the risk of major traffic accidents." He added, "It is urgent to strengthen management and supervision not only of overloading, but also of poor loading, illegal modifications, and all operational rules, as well as to improve the fine collection rate."