70 delinquents owing 3 million won or more targeted

Three mobile units to visit homes and businesses

Travel bans, name disclosure among sanctions for willful evaders

The South Gyeongsang Provincial Government building [South Gyeongsang Province]
The South Gyeongsang Provincial Government building [South Gyeongsang Province]

South Gyeongsang Province has launched an on-site collection drive targeting high-value and repeat tax delinquents living in other cities and provinces — cases where written notices and phone calls have proven insufficient to assess their ability to pay.

The province said it will operate a second-half 2026 out-of-jurisdiction mobile collection unit covering Busan, Daegu and Ulsan from Monday through Friday.

The drive targets 70 delinquents who owe 3 million won ($2,220) or more in local taxes to cities and counties within South Gyeongsang Province but have registered addresses or business premises in neighboring jurisdictions. Their combined outstanding tax debt stands at 1.21 billion won. The group includes both individuals and corporations; the highest single delinquency reaches 107 million won. The main tax categories involved are property tax, automobile tax and local income tax.

A mobile unit of 30 provincial and municipal civil servants, divided into three teams, will visit delinquents' homes and workplaces directly. On the ground, investigators will closely examine whether the person actually resides at the address, how the business is operating and what the debtor's financial situation looks like.

Collection efforts will follow a two-track approach tailored to each delinquent's circumstances. Those genuinely unable to pay due to the economic downturn or temporary cash-flow difficulties will be asked to submit an installment payment plan to help them recover financially. Those who have the means to pay but are deliberately evading their tax obligations will face immediate administrative sanctions, including travel ban requests and public disclosure of their names.

"Although the authority to levy and collect local taxes is delegated to individual cities and counties, there are limits to how well they can assess out-of-jurisdiction delinquents on the ground — which is why we formed a joint provincial and municipal mobile unit," said Baek Jong-cheol, head of the South Gyeongsang Province tax administration division. "We will pursue delinquents who have the ability to pay until the end to uphold tax justice, while guiding those in genuine financial hardship toward installment arrangements, ensuring fair and flexible tax administration."

After concluding this round, the province plans to expand joint mobile operations to cover the entire province from October through December.


ook967@heraldcorp.com