Dongdaemun-gu finds struggling households through tax delinquency field checks

Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul announced Monday that its delinquency management team discovered an elderly couple in their 80s struggling to make ends meet during a field survey of small-sum tax debtors, and connected them with emergency welfare assistance and private housing support.

The couple owned an aging home but had limited income and a heavy loan-interest burden, making it difficult to cover basic living expenses and maintain their housing.

The team assessed not only property ownership but also actual income, debt load, health conditions and living environment. The difficulties identified on-site were reported to the district's welfare department, and the household was approved for three months of government emergency welfare support.

For the risk of water leaks in their deteriorating home, the team also arranged private housing assistance through the Dongdaemun Community Welfare Center's "Huimang Ondol" program, which provides home-repair support to low-income residents.

Since August, the Dongdaemun-gu delinquency management team has been conducting field-based collection activities targeting residents with outstanding tax arrears of less than 1 million won ($755). Officers verify whether residents actually live at the registered address, assess their financial situation and ability to pay, and connect those facing genuine hardship with welfare services.

Through Monday, field activities this year have recovered approximately 5,000 cases totaling 690 million won in unpaid taxes. The district runs collection efforts alongside efforts to identify households in crisis, aiming to make tax delinquency visits a touchpoint for checking on residents' living conditions.

"We will pursue strict collection against those who deliberately and habitually avoid paying taxes despite having the means to do so, while connecting residents facing genuine hardship with the welfare support they need," Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min said.