No. 1 Nationwide for Six Consecutive Years... Daejeon Officials Visit Seodaemun-gu Tax Research Team to Learn

"Sensation" Gains Recognition for Practical, Field-Oriented Research

The Local Tax Research Club of Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, has gained nationwide recognition and become a benchmark for other local governments. On December 8, Seodaemun-gu (headed by Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced that officials from the Taxation Division of Daejeon Metropolitan City recently visited the district to learn the operational know-how of the local tax research club, "Sensation."

Officials from the Taxation Division of Daejeon City and members of the Local Tax Research Club in Seodaemun-gu are discussing know-how on operating the local tax research club. Provided by Seodaemun-gu.

Sensation set an unprecedented record by winning awards for six consecutive years at the "National Local Tax Research Club Outstanding Paper Presentation Contest" hosted by the Korea Institute of Local Finance. Formed in 2019, the club consists of about 10 local tax officers within the district, bringing together both veterans and newcomers to focus on research that can be immediately applied in the field.

The strengths of "Sensation" are attributed to the high level of interest and active administrative support from the district mayor, as well as the responsible management of the director of the Planning and Finance Bureau, which together provide a stable foundation for research.

The key to their success lies in "practical research." The club holds regular monthly study sessions to delve into real-world challenges such as tax equity and taxpayer convenience. Their research achievements include tax reductions for non-profit organization housing, rationalization of motorcycle taxes, and improvements to the taxation process for foreign nationals acquiring housing.

This year, the club received the top prize for its proposal to improve the heavy acquisition tax system for high-end housing. The suggestion to shift from the current area-based standard to one based on actual transaction value was highly praised. On the day of the visit, Daejeon officials closely examined everything from the process of identifying research topics and the organizational support system to how research results are reflected in policy.

Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, stated, "I hope that Seodaemun-gu's research model, which connects field issues to policy, will spread further as a result of Daejeon's visit. We will continue our efforts to ensure that research outcomes lead to institutional improvements and greater convenience for taxpayers."