780 real estate tax-evasion reports filed in 5 months, 81% from greater Seoul area

Of the 780 real estate tax-evasion reports filed in the five months since a dedicated reporting center opened, 291 — or 37 percent — came in January alone, according to a new analysis.

Rep. Cha Gyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party, a member of the National Assembly's Finance and Economy Planning Committee, said Sunday he had analyzed National Tax Service data on reports received by each regional tax office's real estate tax-evasion reporting center.

Of the 780 total reports, 633 — or 81 percent — came from the greater Seoul area, covering the Seoul, Jungbu and Incheon tax offices, indicating that reports were heavily concentrated in a specific period and region, Cha said.

Breaking the figures down by month, reports numbered 136 in November, 129 in December, 291 in January, 98 in February and 126 in March. January's surge represented a 2.3-fold increase from the previous month. Over the full five-month period, the greater Seoul area accounted for 633 of the 780 cumulative reports, while non-metropolitan offices — covering Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu and Busan — logged just 147.

In January, the greater Seoul area recorded 270 reports against just 21 from non-metropolitan offices, pushing the capital region's share to 93 percent. A breakdown by regional office showed reports surging across the greater Seoul area while non-metropolitan offices remained at typical levels.

"The fact that 780 tips were received within five months of the center's opening reflects how strongly the public wants to keep watch over real estate tax evasion," Cha said. "The National Tax Service must rigorously verify the tips it has received and follow through with actual collection as quickly as possible."

He added that the Assembly would closely monitor follow-up action "to ensure that reports do not end with mere filing but lead to the genuine realization of tax justice."