Seongnam will launch an intensive campaign to seize license plates from vehicles with long-overdue fines from July through August, the city said on the 15th.
The crackdown targets vehicles with fines of 300,000 won or more that are more than 60 days past their payment deadline. The fines stem from delayed vehicle inspections, failure to obtain mandatory insurance, and parking violations.
Once a license plate is seized, the vehicle cannot be operated. The plate can only be returned after all overdue amounts are paid in full.
Ahead of the crackdown, the city sent advance notices to 2,415 people subject to seizure as of June 18. Their combined arrears total 2.252 billion won.
The notices were delivered via KakaoTalk alerts. The alerts also included a KakaoPay quick payment function, allowing delinquent taxpayers to pay immediately after checking the notice.
Those who fail to pay fines on time incur an initial 3 percent surcharge. An additional monthly surcharge of 1.2 percent is then added for up to 60 months. The longer the delay, the greater the burden.
During the intensive crackdown period, the city will strengthen license plate seizures against habitual delinquent vehicles. For high-value and repeat offenders, it plans to also carry out measures such as installing wheel clamps, forced towing, and public auction.
However, the city will offer installment payment options for those in financial hardship and small business owners. For those unable to make lump-sum payments, it will pursue customized collection measures, such as deferring license plate seizures.
