Korea Golf Course Management Association Calls for End to Heavy Property Taxes on Membership Golf Courses

Statement issued at next year's business plan and budget meeting
Warns property taxes on membership golf courses could rise 42.9%

The Korea Golf Course Management Association issued a joint statement on November 12 calling for the withdrawal of the heavy property tax burden on membership golf courses.

At its 2027 business plan and budget meeting, held last week on Jeju Island, the association also adopted a resolution on behalf of its member companies. The resolution called for withdrawing the plan to raise the fair market value ratio for property taxes on membership golf courses to 100%, keeping it at the current 70%, and conducting a government impact assessment first.

The Korea Golf Course Management Association held its 2027 business plan and budget meeting in Jeju last week. Provided by the Korea Golf Course Management Association.

The association said the government’s push to raise the fair market value ratio used to assess property taxes on land owned by membership golf courses from the current 70% to 100% could sharply increase their property tax burden. It said the courses face a 42.9% increase in property taxes, despite already being subject to a heavy tax rate of 4%—eight times the maximum rate of 0.5% applied to ordinary land.

Regarding the worker presumption system, which is under review by the National Assembly with the Ministry of Employment and Labor aiming for passage in December, the association said it would emphasize the distinctive nature of caddies’ work. It said caddies have maintained voluntary contractual relationships as self-employed individuals, rather than employees under Supreme Court precedents, including protections under industrial accident and employment insurance and the direct receipt of caddie fees.

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