Seoul City Sends Advance Payment Notices to 1,993 Delinquents

2021 New Public Record Information Registration Targets... 1,745 Public Record Information Registrants Including Those with Over 5 Million Won in Arrears for More Than 1 Year
248 Wage Claims Subject to Seizure Receiving Monthly Salary of 2.24 Million Won or More

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 20th that it simultaneously sent advance notices for unpaid tax payments on the 18th to 1,993 individuals, including 1,745 defaulters with arrears of 5 million won or more, who are newly subject to public record information registration this year, and 248 wage claim seizure targets earning a monthly salary of 2.24 million won or more.

Registration of public record information for defaulters involves providing tax delinquency information to the Korea Credit Information Services, the central credit information agency. This applies to those whose arrears have exceeded one year and amount to 5 million won or more, or those who have defaulted three or more times in a year with arrears of 5 million won or more. These individuals have repeatedly failed to pay local taxes despite multiple payment demands, making them newly eligible for public record information registration.

Once local tax delinquency information is registered with the Korea Credit Information Services, the defaulter is classified as a financial delinquent for seven years from the date the delinquency occurred. This classification makes it difficult to open a mobile phone account or obtain loans under their name, restricts credit card issuance and usage, and causes financial disadvantages. It also directly or indirectly affects employment opportunities.

If defaulters do not pay their overdue taxes by the 31st, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will request the provision of delinquency information to the Korea Credit Information Services and the registration of public record information. Among the 1,745 individuals scheduled for new public record information registration this year, 1,340 are individuals and 405 are corporations. Their total arrears amount to 84.6 billion won, with 16,424 cases of delinquency recorded.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has been registering public record information for defaulters with arrears of 5 million won or more across Seoul and its 25 autonomous districts. However, starting this year, even if the tax arrears are dispersed below 5 million won across Seoul and the 25 districts, if the arrears across two or more institutions total 5 million won or more, public record information registration will be applied. The number of such defaulters is 478, with arrears amounting to 4.59 billion won.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also sent advance notices of wage claim seizure to 248 defaulters earning a monthly salary of 2.24 million won or more before seizing their workplace wage claims, urging payment by the 31st.

Lee Byung-wook, Director of the 38th Tax Collection Division of Seoul, stated, “Starting this year, Seoul actively identifies livelihood-type defaulters who have difficulty paying taxes and connects them to welfare programs such as basic livelihood security selection to provide assistance. However, for defaulters who have the capacity to pay but delay or evade tax payments under false pretenses, we will pursue them relentlessly to ensure collection, realize tax justice, and ensure that diligent taxpayers are respected and do not feel deprived.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.