'Even a dog looks back at a biting dog'


There is a saying that you can ignore the noise of a dog that barks loudly, but you will stare at a dog that bites your heel.

It also means that you need to be active to attract the attention of others.

Yes, I would like to inform you in advance that this interview file was started with the determination to 'show some respect to viewers and readers of SBS News'.



Around this time last year, <If you win 10 billion won in the lottery, you get all 10 billion won?> I wrote an interview file.

There is also a lottery in Japan, and even if you win first place like us, they don't give out the winnings after taking out the car and the pot, but 100% of the winnings. You should see it, that was it.



At the time, the biggest reason for the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's disapproval was the 'controversy over promoting speculation'.

Equity with other speculative games such as horse racing and bicycle racing was also a factor to consider.

However, at the end of the coverage, Director Kim Seo-joong of the Lottery Office at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said, “Thank you for making me worry.



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I thought it was empty talk.

In the past 18 years of reporting, I have not been fooled once or twice.

However, less than a year later, the lottery office quietly released a press release.

The title was 'Improving the convenience of receiving lottery prizes for 180,000 people a year'.

From now on, it was said that it was changed so that you can take all of your lottery winnings up to 2 million won without tax.

If you play the lottery, it means that up to 3rd place will be tax-free.



So far, I have not deducted taxes only below the 4th place in the lottery (50,000 won in prize money).

Even if you won the 3rd place in the lottery (average prize money of 1.5 million won), you took away about 300,000 won in taxes.

About 180,000 people were distributed in this section every year, but from this year, on the contrary, that number has been able to benefit.



Right after the income tax law was revised, I spoke with Director Kim.

He said that he started thinking about it when he received a call last year for an interview, and started reviewing it in earnest after seeing the related coverage file.

There were many mountains to overcome.

Even the staff in the office had to go through discussions with pros and cons, and it was said that it was a series of discussions with the tricky tax office.

When I asked if I had crossed a big mountain, a great mountain called the National Assembly came out, but in the end, I came here, saying, "I'm really happy that the amendment passed, and I'm grateful to you."



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You could have just said that it was something I had been thinking about from the beginning.

Even if the lottery office took the achievement of not paying taxes on the 'small dream' of 180,000 people, no one would have said anything.

However, he was willing to share the ball and made this report file come out.



There are still many civil servants of welfare immobility.

While visiting many government departments for over a year in Sejong, I met many government officials, listened to their stories, and asked questions about policies.

However, it is regrettable that there are fewer public officials who benefit the people with innovative and emergent ideas.



Demands such as "don't pay taxes on lottery tickets" and "don't you already take taxes when buying lottery tickets" are stories that have often popped up in the Internet community and in taverns on the way home from work.

It's just that the voice didn't reach policy makers.

Well, that's just what it is.

For fairness, lottery office employees are not allowed to buy lottery tickets while in office.

It's a system with good intentions, but it certainly has its shadows.

Since there was no need to buy a lottery ticket, there would have been little reason for the tax deducted from the winnings to count the hearts of the people who felt sorry for that penny.



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The Ministry of Finance and Economy looked back on 'biting dogs' and created a tax-free policy for up to 2 million won in lottery prizes.

At times like these, I am very proud of being a journalist.

Because of the news of 'reporters who received money from Kim Man-bae', which was exclusively reported by SBS last week, all reporters are becoming 'giregi' with wholesale prices, but I will not be disappointed.

It is because there are still many decent reporters who continue to call themselves 'biting dogs' even after being kicked and kicked.