Survey covers 7,112 delinquent taxpayers; 2,580 cases resolved

Unit also identifies residents falling through welfare gaps

Dongjak-gu District Office in Seoul [Dongjak-gu]
Dongjak-gu District Office in Seoul [Dongjak-gu]

Dongjak-gu in Seoul announced Wednesday that its local tax delinquency management unit has delivered results on both tax collection and welfare outreach within three months of launching.

Since its launch on Aug. 10, the unit has conducted phone and on-site surveys of 7,112 delinquent taxpayers, recovering a total of 145 million won ($110,000) across 2,580 cases as of the 15th.

During its investigations, the unit identified five taxpayers facing financial hardship and connected them with welfare counseling and services. In one case, staff visited the home of a resident in their 80s who had difficulty moving around and was living on a basic pension, helping them fill out a welfare counseling application and referring them to the local community center for consultation on basic livelihood security benefits.

A single-person household struggling to pay taxes after retirement was informed of payment options and self-sufficiency programs, and helped apply for tailored welfare benefits. The unit also connected residents with welfare counseling — including one whose financial burden had grown due to a spouse's medical expenses, and another whose regular outpatient treatment was limiting their ability to return to work.

Dongjak-gu recruited the 10-member unit through a public hiring process in July. The members are scheduled to work through next month, and the district plans to recruit and operate the unit again next year.

Dongjak-gu District Mayor Ryu Sam-young said the unit serves as a bridge between tax collection and welfare administration by examining taxpayers' ability to pay and their living conditions in the field. "We will reduce welfare blind spots through field-centered delinquency management and attentive resident counseling," he said.


cook@heraldcorp.com