"Now I See Why Expensive Cars Get the Best Plates": Officials Diverted Golden License Numbers

At Least 350 Cases Confirmed Over the Past Three Years

Plan to Request Police Investigation Over Meal Treats

'Direct Entry' of License Plate Numbers Circumvented Random Assignment

Employees of the Gwangju Seo-gu District Office, who have been assigning so-called "golden license plates" such as '7777', '1004', and '9000' to specific vehicles, have been caught in large numbers during an audit. The findings revealed that vehicle registration numbers, which are supposed to be allocated randomly, were in fact "preempted" due to habitual collusion between some agencies and staff, sparking growing criticism from citizens.

The identified target numbers this time included four-digit numbers with all digits the same, such as 5555 and 9999; three-digit identical numbers like 6999 and 8880; repeating numbers such as 7979 and 3113; round numbers in the thousands or hundreds like 9000 and 5500; and numbers with symbolic meaning like 1004 and 9111. The photo is an AI-generated image created to aid in understanding the article. ChatGPT

On June 17, the Gwangju Seo-gu District Office announced that, following an audit of 16 current and former employees of the Vehicle Registration Team in the Traffic Administration Division, which oversees vehicle registration work, it had confirmed that 10 employees were involved in providing specific preferred numbers to registration agencies. The audit found that, over approximately three years from 2023 to February 9 of this year, these employees assigned so-called golden numbers to specific vehicles at the request of two vehicle registration agencies.

The target numbers included four-digit numbers in which all digits are the same, such as 5555 and 9999; three-digit same numbers like 6999 and 8880; repeating numbers like 7979 and 3113; thousand- and hundred-level numbers such as 9000 and 5500; and numbers with symbolic meaning such as 1004 and 9111. Under the current vehicle registration procedures, vehicle numbers are assigned by randomly selecting ten numbers, from which the vehicle owner chooses one. However, the staff who were caught circumvented this principle. They would first preemptively register a golden number to a general citizen’s vehicle in the Vehicle Management Information System, then cancel or amend the registration using their authority to secure the number in the system. Afterward, they would directly assign and register the number to the vehicle designated by the agency. It was found that approximately 350 vehicles were registered fraudulently in this manner over the past three years. Many of the vehicles that received golden numbers were high-priced imported cars, and a significant number were registered to corporations.

Among these findings, the Seo-gu District Office also confirmed that some staff members had been treated to meals by the agencies. However, the office stated that it is difficult to verify whether there were monetary transactions solely through its own audit, and plans to request an investigation by the Gwangju Seobu Police Station. Allegations of improper receipt of overtime pay will also be included in the investigation request.

Seo-gu District Office decided to take disciplinary action against 10 of the 16 individuals subject to the audit. Of these, six will face disciplinary action, while the remaining four will receive administrative measures such as cautions or warnings. For four public service employees, the relevant departments have been notified of their violations to initiate disciplinary proceedings. The Seo-gu audit department explained that, given the nature of vehicle registration work—which is completed solely by the person in charge—it was difficult to maintain real-time oversight. However, the team leader in charge will be held responsible for failing to control such practices and will receive a warning as a managerial measure.

Citizens have expressed disbelief at the revelations. One citizen commented, "Whenever I saw a good license plate on the road, I wondered how such numbers were issued, but now I realize it was due to corruption. Authorities should investigate not only Gwangju Seo-gu but also other district offices and local governments."

Both within and outside of civil society, there are calls to use this incident as an opportunity to increase transparency in the allocation of preferred numbers. Suggestions include separately managing records of random selections and discretionary cancellations or amendments, as well as establishing a system to automatically detect if certain numbers are repeatedly assigned to specific agencies or vehicle types. Meanwhile, allegations of preferential assignments of 'golden license plates' were first raised through a citizen complaint filed via the National Petition Portal. Without such a tip-off, it is likely the long-standing fraudulent registration practices would not have come to light. The police investigation is expected to determine whether there were monetary transactions or organized solicitations in addition to the meal treats.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.