Gwangju Special City Seizes License Plates from 139 Repeat Tax-Delinquent Vehicles; Arrears Total 99 Million Won

【Financial News | Jeonnam-Gwangju = Hwang Tae-jong, reporter】The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Special City) recently carried out its “2026 Second-Half Joint License Plate Seizure Operation for Tax-Delinquent Vehicles,” seizing the plates of 139 vehicles with outstanding taxes. The main targets were vehicles with at least two unpaid motor vehicle tax bills, and total arrears amounted to 99 million won.
 The joint operation aimed to collect unpaid local taxes and involved 27 local governments—cities, districts and counties—as well as relevant agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Korea Expressway Corporation and the National Police Agency.
 Enforcement teams used vehicles equipped with license plate seizure systems and mobile license plate seizure systems. Using big data analysis, they focused their enforcement efforts on areas with high concentrations of vehicles, such as apartment complexes and major arterial roads, where repeat tax-delinquent vehicles are often found.
 For delinquent taxpayers unable to pay in a lump sum, Gwangju Special City provided guidance on installment payments and encouraged them to pay their arrears according to a payment plan. For vehicles with one unpaid motor vehicle tax bill, as well as trucks and vans needed to make a living, it issued advance notices of license plate seizure and urged owners to pay voluntarily.
 Kim Dae-jung, head of Gwangju Special City’s Finance Division, said, “We will continue seizing the license plates of vehicles with unpaid motor vehicle taxes while also providing guidance on installment payments to delinquent taxpayers with limited ability to pay, maintaining responses tailored to each type of delinquency.”
 Meanwhile, as motor vehicle tax accounts for a large share of carried-over tax arrears, Gwangju Special City plans to continue seizing the license plates of tax-delinquent vehicles. In particular, for vehicles whose owners do not pay their tax arrears, the city plans to pursue further measures under relevant laws, including orders to surrender the vehicles, forced towing and public auctions.

[email protected] Hwang Tae-jong Reporter