Korea Customs Service Collects 1.3 Billion Won From Delinquent Taxpayers

According to Yonhap, South Korea's Korea Customs Service said Thursday it collected 1.3 billion won (US$880,000) from delinquent taxpayers through a joint investigation with the National Tax Service. The two agencies pooled databases to trace hidden assets, comparing taxpayers' actual residences with the addresses registered for their personal customs clearance codes. The customs service said investigators found one taxpayer operating a business under the father's name and uncovered cash and checks hidden in a travel suitcase. In another case, a taxpayer was suspected of staging a divorce on paper while continuing to live in an apartment owned by a former spouse, leading officials to seize foreign currency, premium whisky and other luxury goods. The agencies said they recovered 1 billion won in cash as well as luxury bags and other concealed assets.