Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu held a launch ceremony Monday at the district office for its 2026 Local Tax Revenue Delinquency Management Unit, kicking off a field-focused initiative aimed at fair tax administration, identifying residents who fall through welfare safety nets and creating local jobs.
The unit comprises nine members — six fixed-term workers and three district officials — and will conduct on-site investigations and support delinquency collection efforts targeting local tax and non-tax revenue debtors from Monday through Nov. 30.
The district recruited the fixed-term workers through an open hiring process that gave preference to career-interrupted women and young job seekers, expanding access to public employment opportunities. The initiative is expected to advance fair tax administration, uncover welfare blind spots and support economically vulnerable residents in finding work.
The unit will investigate delinquent taxpayers' actual place of residence, financial circumstances and ability to pay, laying the groundwork for more effective collection.
It also plans to identify delinquents facing genuine hardship and refer them to welfare departments, addressing overdue payments and connecting residents with social services at the same time.
The investigation covers 11,549 taxpayers who each owe less than 1 million won ($698) in local taxes — with total arrears of about 2.98 billion won — as well as 78,141 delinquents in five underperforming non-tax revenue categories, including fines, levies, compulsory performance fees, surcharges and indemnities, with total arrears of about 26.08 billion won.
At the ceremony, officials shared the unit's operational plan, presented investigator credentials to the six fixed-term workers and conducted training on field investigation protocols and safety guidelines.
Dongdaemun-gu Deputy District Mayor Jo Mi-suk said the unit would play a critical role on the front lines of fair tax administration. "Please earn the trust of residents through fairness, accurate investigation and record-keeping, and safe fieldwork," she said. She added that connecting residents in need of assistance with welfare services during field visits was equally important. "Please practice field administration where fair collection and warm welfare go hand in hand," she said.
The district said it would continue pursuing tax administration that balances fairness with compassion — securing sound local finances through systematic delinquency management while linking economically struggling debtors with tailored welfare services and expanding public employment programs.
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