Incheon's Jemulpo-gu District (Mayor Kim Chan-jin) has levied a total of 35.8 billion won in property tax for the regular September 2026 installment. Because this year's assessment date falls before the district's launch date, some landowners may receive two tax bills, and the district has issued a separate notice explaining that this does not amount to double taxation.
 [The Korean Today] Notice on Jemulpo-gu District's regular September property tax levy © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The regular September installment is levied on taxpayers who owned housing and land within the district as of June 1 each year. The tax covers one-half of the housing property tax and the land tax. Under the current system, which collects the housing portion in two equal halves in July and September, this bill combines the remaining half with the amount due on land.
The point requiring attention in this year's billing is the gap between the assessment date and the district's launch. June 1, the property tax assessment date, comes one month before July 1, when Jemulpo-gu District was launched. As a result, owners who held land in both the former Dong-gu and the inland areas of the former Jung-gu may receive two bills, as the tax amounts were calculated separately by the previous administrative districts.
The district explained that this does not mean taxes have been levied twice, but rather that amounts calculated separately by area are being notified individually. Because land property tax is structured to aggregate an owner's land holdings by jurisdiction and apply progressive rates, the billing reflects the period when the aggregation jurisdictions were still divided in two.
This dual billing is limited to this year. From 2027, tax amounts will be calculated by aggregating land holdings within the district on a Jemulpo-gu basis, so in principle the levy will be issued on a single bill. It is a transitional phenomenon appearing only in the first year of the merger.
Payment options are available through multiple channels. Payments can be made at any financial institution or post office nationwide, and can also be made through CD/ATM machines without the tax bill in hand. Those who prefer not to visit a financial institution in person may use the local tax ARS service (☎142-211), Wetax (www.wetax.go.kr), smartphone banking and simple payment apps, or transfers to a virtual account or local tax revenue account.
Since missing the deadline brings additional penalty charges, the district plans to continue providing information through various media including electronic display boards, banners and newsletters so that no resident suffers a disadvantage by missing the payment deadline. In particular, it plans to focus its outreach on ensuring that landowners who receive two bills do not mistakenly leave one unpaid.
Property tax is a representative revenue source that the district secures on its own. A Jemulpo-gu District official said, "We will make careful use of the taxes paid by residents as financial resources for residents' welfare, administrative services closely tied to daily life, and local priority projects, all for the stable settlement and development of Jemulpo-gu District."
For Jemulpo-gu District, now in its first year since launch, this 35.8 billion won property tax levy serves as an indicator of its fiscal base following the merger. Once the land aggregation standard is unified starting next year, the confusion over billing for taxpayers is also expected to be resolved.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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