Pyeongtaek City to Begin Full-Scale License Plate Seizures for Delinquent Vehicles Starting in April

Intensive Crackdown from April to October

Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Jung Jangsun), announced on April 8 that it will begin full-scale enforcement of license plate seizures for vehicles with habitual delinquency in automobile tax and related traffic fines, starting in April.

Pyeongtaek City to Begin Active Seizure of License Plates from Delinquent Vehicles Starting April. Provided by Pyeongtaek City

This enforcement follows the conclusion of the "advance notice and voluntary payment guidance period," which was operated throughout March. During this period, the city used various non-face-to-face channels, such as Kakao notification messages, to inform vehicle owners of their delinquencies and encourage voluntary payments. As a result, a total of 5,076 individuals paid overdue automobile taxes amounting to approximately 1,159 million won during the advance notice period. Nevertheless, the city plans to take strong administrative measures against high-value and habitual delinquents who have yet to settle their outstanding payments.

The intensive crackdown targets vehicles that have failed to pay automobile tax three or more times, or those with at least two delinquencies in automobile tax combined with local taxes or non-tax revenue arrears exceeding a certain amount. The enforcement will apply to vehicles registered not only within Pyeongtaek but also those registered in other local governments, utilizing the "collection request" system to ensure no exceptions. In particular, the city will operate a real-time delinquency information sharing system among enforcement departments to enhance on-site efficiency. License plates will only be returned once the full amount of arrears has been paid, and strict management will be maintained.

However, taking into account the recent difficult economic conditions, the city will implement flexible measures for livelihood-related delinquents, offering installment counseling instead of seizure, to provide opportunities for self-sufficiency. On the other hand, for high-value delinquents who intentionally evade payment or vehicles suspected of being so-called "ghost cars," the city will apply a zero-tolerance policy, including immediate wheel-locking on site or compulsory towing and auctioning of the vehicles.

A Pyeongtaek City official stated, "As sufficient opportunities for payment were provided during the March notice period, from April, we will uphold tax justice through strong on-site enforcement. We urge delinquent vehicle owners to make voluntary payments to avoid the inconveniences caused by license plate seizures."

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