"A bag of fish-shaped bread instead of a tax arrears notice saved a life" [Ttatteuthaessyu]

[Financial News] A few warm words and a small act of kindness from a civil servant in charge of tax arrears and collections saved the life of a woman in her 50s who had been on the verge of giving up on everything.

According to Gyeonggi Province’s Suwon-si and others on the 5th, a woman in her 50s, identified as A, who lives in a rental apartment complex in Suwon, had been preparing to give up on life because it had become too hard. She had been unable to pay her rent for months, and her bank account had been frozen due to arrears on local taxes and fines. On top of that, she had lost her day-labor job, and her son in his 20s, whose knee ligament had been torn, could not even receive treatment.
Believing there was no hope left, A began putting her affairs in order and applied to have her more-than-10-year-old car put up for public auction so she could at least pay off part of her arrears.
Shin Yong-cheol, an official with the Tax Arrears Tracking Team at the Tax Arrears Collection Division of Suwon-si, who was in charge of the vehicle auction process, visited A’s apartment to proceed with the formalities. In the course of listening to her situation, he learned that A’s family had not eaten for several days. He suggested they go to a supermarket together, but A refused, saying, "I don’t want to be indebted to anyone."

On his way back, Shin looked around for an ATM but could not find one. With the 4,000 won he had on him, he bought six pieces of fish-shaped bread and went back to A’s home.
Handing the bag to A, he told her, "Please hang in there," and then left.
A, who received the fish-shaped bread from Shin, later said, "I don’t know how long I cried while holding that bread," adding, "As I ate it so gratefully, I found myself thinking, 'Maybe I am allowed to keep living.'"
Even after that, Shin visited A’s home again, bringing rice, side dishes and instant noodles for the family.
He also tried to ease her sense of burden, telling her, "Civil servants of Suwon-si are people who work for the citizens of Suwon-si, so you don’t need to feel sorry about accepting this. Please stay strong."

Shin’s warm words and small gestures of concern brought about change.
After having a proper meal, A’s son left the house saying he would at least try to find a part-time job. A herself received free legal counseling and began visiting the district tax office to inquire about applying for a tax adjustment.
Shin also called A from time to time to check in on her and provided information on job opportunities, how to seek assistance from the Administrative Welfare Center, free legal counseling, and how to apply for adjustments at the district tax office.
On December 31, the last day of 2025, Shin once again visited A’s home, this time carrying a plastic bag filled with tteokbokki, soondae and fried snacks.
He told A, "It was so cold today that the food got cold on the way here," and urged her, "Please make sure to heat it up before you eat."

On the 5th, A expressed her gratitude to Shin and others through a post on the "Let’s Compliment" bulletin board on the Suwon City official website.
A wrote, "I am deeply grateful to Mr. Shin Yong-cheol, who helped me discover hope and a sense of gratitude," adding, "I will live well and make sure to repay your kindness."
Shin said, "A few days ago I sent them some kimchi by parcel delivery, and they told me, 'It’s been so long since we last had kimchi,' and thanked me," adding, "I will keep in touch and check in on the family until they are able to stand on their own feet."

newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter