Gangseo-gu Targets W500m in Delinquent Tax Recovery — With a Welfare Safety Net

Seoul's Gangseo-gu is operating a "local tax revenue delinquency management team" through Nov. 30 to promote a sound taxpaying culture and boost district revenue.

The program adapts the National Tax Service's delinquency management model for local governments and is a nationwide initiative. Gangseo-gu hired 16 investigators in July and launched operations in August.

The team aims to conduct 4,000 field visits and 10,000 phone inquiries by the end of November to assess the circumstances of delinquent taxpayers. Unlike last year's focus on large-sum and habitual debtors, the district this year is also targeting 35,705 small-amount debtors who owe less than 1 million won ($735), with tailored collection measures for each case.

The total collection target is 500 million won, and as of Wednesday the district had already recovered about 157 million won in overdue taxes.

The program goes beyond simple debt collection. For residents struggling financially, the district has put in place relief measures — steering clear of blanket payment demands and instead connecting livelihood-type debtors to tailored welfare programs such as emergency welfare assistance and the National Basic Livelihood Security system to help them achieve genuine self-sufficiency.

Operating under the principle of "fair collection, warm support," the district plans to help subsistence-level debtors get back on their feet while taking firm action against deliberate tax avoidance, creating a fair tax administration environment that protects compliant taxpayers.

District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon said the program "goes beyond recovering overdue taxes — it creates local jobs and connects debtors in welfare blind spots to the support they need." He added that the district would "look after the hardships of debtors while strictly upholding the value of faithful taxpaying, delivering fair and trusted tax administration for residents."