Unpaid Expressway Tolls Reach 66.7 Billion Won This Year Alone... “AI to Track Habitual Defaulters”

[Financial News] Both the number and amount of unpaid expressway tolls accumulated through August this year increased from the same period last year. Korea Expressway Corporation will take a two-track approach: strengthening enforcement against vehicles with intentional or habitual toll arrears while expanding notifications and payment convenience for drivers whose unpaid tolls resulted from simple mistakes or carelessness.
According to Korea Expressway Corporation on the 17th, 25.83 million unpaid toll cases occurred from January through August this year, up 3.7% from 24.916 million cases during the same period last year. The amount increased 4.1%, from 64.1 billion won to 66.7 billion won.
Cumulative unpaid cases through August rose every year, from 16.151 million in 2022 to 19.254 million in 2023, 21.905 million in 2024, and 24.916 million in 2025. This year’s figure is about 60% higher than in the same period of 2022. The amount also increased by about 58%, from 42.1 billion won to 66.7 billion won.
The annual increase in unpaid tolls also continued. The number of unpaid cases rose from 25.286 million in 2022 to 38.533 million last year, while the amount increased from 65.6 billion won to 99.4 billion won.
Collections totaled 35.31 million cases and 90.9 billion won last year. Collection rates were 91.6% by case count and 91.4% by amount. Compared with the 2022 collection rates, these figures fell by 2.7 percentage points on a case-count basis, from 94.3%, and by 2.5 percentage points on an amount basis, from 93.9%.
The corporation therefore imposes an additional toll equal to 10 times the unpaid amount on vehicles that fail to pay tolls at least 20 times within one year. Habitual and high-value defaulters may also face measures including bank-account seizures, compulsory surrender of vehicles, and criminal complaints.
The corporation is also strengthening a system that uses AI to predict the routes of delinquent vehicles and enforce collection. The impact of AI-assisted enforcement against delinquent vehicles increased from 1.3 billion won in 2023, before its introduction, to 1.84 billion won in 2024 and 2.28 billion won last year.
It is also pursuing expanded joint enforcement with the Korean National Police Agency and local governments, as well as the introduction of a system to seize the license plates of vehicles belonging to habitual defaulters.
For unpaid tolls caused by simple mistakes or carelessness, drivers will receive immediate notifications through Kakao notification messages and public and private apps. Unpaid tolls can be paid at Korea Expressway Corporation sales offices, expressway rest areas, convenience stores nationwide, the corporation’s website, and the “Expressway Toll+” app. Payments can also be made through 24 private apps, including National Assistant, Shinhan Bank, and Whistle, as well as through the call center.
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter