Gangnam District Greatly Expands Benefits for Exemplary Taxpayers... Support for Medical, Cultural, and Sports Services

Practical Daily Benefits Including 30% Discount on Health Checkups

Gangnam District in Seoul (District Mayor Cho Sungmyung) has significantly strengthened its preferential policies for diligent taxpayers. After revising the relevant ordinance in November last year and signing additional agreements with seven medical institutions earlier this month, the district has begun full-scale implementation.

Gangnam District Office exterior. Provided by Gangnam District Office.

In November last year, the district revised the “Ordinance on Preferential Treatment and Support for Exemplary Taxpayers in Gangnam District, Seoul,” greatly expanding the existing benefits. Under the revised ordinance, diligent taxpayers can now receive practical, daily-life benefits such as a 30% discount on health checkups at partner medical institutions, a 50% discount on Gangnam Symphony Orchestra performance fees, and a 30% reduction in class and usage fees at cultural centers, community centers, lifelong learning centers, and sports facilities. Preferential measures for companies were also included, such as allocating one additional intern to exemplary or meritorious taxpayer small and medium-sized enterprises participating in internship support programs.

On January 6, the district signed written business agreements with seven major local medical institutions. This follows the first agreements made in April last year with Gangnam Severance Hospital and Kwangdong Hospital, bringing the total number of partner medical institutions to nine. The newly participating institutions are Gangnam Bedro Hospital, Gangnam Iroom Eye Clinic, Good Shepherd Hospital, Oakwood Bom Clinic, Jeil Orthopedic Hospital, Chaum Health Screening Center Samsung Branch, and KMI Korea Medical Institute Gangnam Center.

These institutions will provide discounts on comprehensive checkup fees and non-insured medical expenses not only to exemplary and meritorious taxpayers themselves, but also to their spouses, direct ascendants and descendants, as well as to executives and employees of corporations and their families.

Every year, Gangnam District selects 100 exemplary taxpayers and 10 meritorious taxpayers, granting them preferential benefits for one year. To be recognized as an exemplary taxpayer, an individual must have had no record of local tax delinquency in the past 10 years and must have fully paid at least two taxes on time each year for the past eight years. Among these, those who paid at least 10 million won as individuals or organizations, or at least 50 million won as corporations, in the previous year are selected as meritorious taxpayers.

Cho Sungmyung, Mayor of Gangnam District, stated, “The expansion of this policy is significant in that it establishes an institutional foundation for citizens who faithfully pay their taxes to enjoy tangible benefits in their daily lives,” adding, “We will continue to foster a culture where taxpayers are respected and do our utmost to ensure that the taxes paid return as a source of pride for our residents.”