Gangnam District Wins Two Ministerial Awards for Innovative Tax Administration

Recognition for Achievements in Shifting to Taxpayer-Centered Policies

Gangnam District in Seoul (District Mayor Cho Sungmyung) announced on December 1 that it had received two Minister of the Interior and Safety awards, recognizing its achievements in innovating the overall tax administration system.

The district demonstrated its top-level administrative capabilities in the field of local taxation nationwide by winning the Excellence Award at the “Local Tax Development Forum” held on November 17, and then securing the Grand Prize at the “Best Practices Presentation Contest for Promoting Taxpayer Rights” on November 20. This recognition is especially significant as it reflects a shift in policy focus from simply streamlining tax administration to enhancing resident convenience and protecting taxpayer rights.

Grand Prize Winner in Local Taxpayer Rights Promotion Best Practices Presentation Contest. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

At the Local Tax Development Forum held in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, Gangnam District participated as the representative of Seoul and received the Excellence Award. This forum, the largest annual event in the field of local taxation since 1983, is attended by more than 200 people, including officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and tax officials from 17 metropolitan cities and provinces across the country, to share directions for local tax policy development.

Gangnam District presented the topic “Abolishing the Additional Property Tax Rate for Intelligent Buildings and Establishing New Reduction Regulations.” During on-site inspections to check whether the additional property tax rate (5-10%) was being properly applied to buildings with automated facilities, the district identified a structural issue: the additional tax system could hinder the spread of AI and eco-friendly technologies. Rather than focusing solely on tax collection, Gangnam District was highly praised for raising the need to abolish the additional tax rate and establish new reduction policies to encourage eco-friendly and intelligent buildings, as well as for proposing amendments to related laws, demonstrating both policy awareness and planning capability.

At the Best Practices Presentation Contest held in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Gangnam District won the Grand Prize with its presentation, “Even Without a Budget, There Is a Way! The Visiting Village Tax Advisor Program Embedded in Residents’ Lives.” This year, the district organized a total of nine “On-Site Tax Consultation Sessions” at various locations, including festivals and traditional markets, providing one-on-one free consultation services to 1,024 people. In addition, Gangnam District was the first in the country to hold tax briefings for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up ventures, helping corporations recognize tax risks in advance and accurately receive reduction and exemption benefits.

This initiative was recognized as a model case of public-private cooperation and as both practical and effective, since it was operated without budget spending, relying instead on talent donations and collaboration from private organizations such as the Yeoksam Tax Association, Korea International Trade Association, and Shinhan Bank.

Cho Sungmyung, Mayor of Gangnam District, stated, “Winning two Ministerial awards is the result of our sincere efforts to implement resident-centered tax administration. We will continue to listen to taxpayers, protect their rights, and pursue rational tax reforms in line with changing times.”

Local Tax Development Forum Excellence Award. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

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