Unknown fees hidden in passports

By Jung Min-ho

If you want a Korean passport, you must “donate” part of the issuance fees to the government.

However, the “charity fund for international exchanges” is not optional. If you don’t want to pay the fee, forget about getting a passport.

Of the total cost of 53,000 won ($45) for a 10-year passport, 15,000 won goes to the state-run Korea Foundation (KF), an organization that promotes the country in the international community.

According to the foundation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 539 billion won has been collected since 2006. On average, this is about 40 billion won each year.

The problem with the KF allocation is that few people know it even exists, let alone how it is used.

When a 25-year-old college student, Kim, had his passport issued last month, there was no explanation about the money, which he thought was “wrong.”

“I found the name problematic,” he said. “Why would I want to donate my money, if I don’t know where it goes? If the government wants to collect money as a charity fund, not as tax, it owes the public an explanation.”

What is puzzling about the money is that it is collected as a “donation,” not as tax.

Controversy over the money emerged in 1991 when the system began and the issue was discussed at the judiciary committee of the National Assembly. Some lawmakers believed it was a de facto tax on overseas travelers. But their request to categorize it as tax was not accepted.

In 2010, a citizen, whose identity is being withheld, filed an administrative lawsuit against the government over the fund. The person claimed that the “donation” should be removed as not all overseas travelers agree on how their money is used. However, the Supreme Court turned down his demand in 2011.

It is unclear why the government wanted to categorize the money as a donation despite the controversy.

According to KF Chief Spokesperson Suh Soo-yon, the fund is important for the KF, as more than half of the foundation’s budget comes from there.

The KF was launched in 1991 to promote better understanding of Korea in the international community and to increase friendship between Korea and the rest of the world through various exchange programs.