A notice arrives when you run a red light.
But sometimes the fine is 7만 원, and other times the penalty fee is 6만 원.
It is the same violation, yet both the name and amount differ. Why is that?
3-line summary
1. A fine goes to the vehicle owner; a penalty fee goes to the driver.
2. For a passenger car running a red light, the amounts are 7만 원 and 6만 원.
3. The 15 demerit points apply only to the cheaper one.
The difference between the two names
First, let’s put them side by side. This is for a passenger car running a red light on a regular road.
| Fine | Penalty Fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | 7만 원 | 6만 원 |
| Demerit points | None | 15 points |
| Recipient | Vehicle owner | Person who drove |
| How it is issued | Unmanned enforcement camera | On-site enforcement by a police officer |
For vans and buses, the amounts are 8만 원 and 7만 원, respectively; for motorcycles, they are 5만 원 and 4만 원.
In child protection zones, the amounts rise substantially, with the fine for a passenger car at 13만 원.
Cameras do not know who was driving
This is the key point.
Unmanned enforcement cameras photograph license plates. They cannot know who was behind the wheel. A wife may have been driving her husband’s car, or an employee may have been driving a company vehicle.
That is why camera enforcement is directed not at a person but at the vehicle’s owner. This type of monetary sanction is called a fine.
This also explains why there are no demerit points. Demerit points are assessed against a license, and a license belongs to a person. When the driver has not been identified, points cannot be deducted from the vehicle owner’s license.
The situation changes when a police officer pulls over the vehicle on the spot. Because the driver is identified there, that person receives a penalty fee, along with 15 demerit points on their license.
It is not a coincidence that the option 1만 원 cheaper carries demerit points. Because the person has been identified, the sanction extends to the license.
Which one applies is determined by the method of enforcement. It is not the driver’s choice.
What cameras can capture is limited
Violations subject to fines through unmanned enforcement are those that can be proven through photographs or video.
They include driving in a dedicated lane, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, illegal stopping or parking, running a red light, and exceeding the speed limit. They share something in common: whether a violation occurred can be determined from the image alone.
Violations such as cutting in or failing to maintain a safe following distance, which require examining the surrounding context, are difficult to handle with cameras alone.
There is one more thing to know if it is a company or commercial vehicle. If the driver cannot be identified in such violations, a fine of up to 20만 원 may be imposed on the vehicle’s employer. This is why organizations where several people share vehicles keep driving records.
The weight of 15 demerit points
Demerit points may not feel significant on a single occasion, but their nature changes as they accumulate.
If they exceed 40 points over 1 year, the license is suspended for 1 day per point from that point onward. At 40 points, that is 40 days. If they exceed 121 points, the license is revoked.
At 15 demerit points per red-light violation, three violations amount to 45 points. This means that being caught three times in one year puts a driver in the license-suspension range.
The fine is 1만 원 more expensive, but it does not factor into this calculation.
There is a way to reduce it by 20%
Before a formal fine notice is issued, there is a period for submitting an opinion. If you pay voluntarily during this period, the amount is reduced by up to 20%.
For a 7만 원 fine, that becomes 5만 6천 원. If it is not a matter you plan to contest, it is better not to let this period pass.
Conversely, the amount increases after the deadline. A surcharge is added after the payment deadline, and if it remains unpaid after that, an additional monthly surcharge is imposed. This additional surcharge can accumulate for up to 60 months.
If you put it off because the amount seems small, the interest-like charges can become larger than the principal. Continued nonpayment leads to delinquent-collection procedures, including seizure of property.
What to check before moving on
First, check the name shown on the notice. Whether it is a fine or a penalty fee determines whether demerit points apply.
Outstanding amounts can be checked through the National Police Agency’s Traffic Civil Complaints 24 (eFine). After logging in with a joint certificate or simple authentication, outstanding fines and penalty fees, as well as demerit points from the past 1 year, appear on one screen. Notices are sometimes missed after a move or a change in vehicle ownership, so if you have not checked in a long time, it is better to look now.
If you lend or borrow a vehicle, it is better to decide in advance who will be responsible for the fine. The notice goes to the owner.
If there is room to dispute the alleged violation, the opinion-submission period is the time to do so. For determinations regarding individual cases, please check with the relevant authority or an expert.
Cameras photograph vehicles; police officers stop people
Fines and penalty fees are not two ways of reducing an amount; they are two systems that differ in whom they hold responsible.
One knows only the license plate; the other knows the person’s face. That difference determines whether demerit points apply.
When you receive a notice, check its name before its amount. If you do not intend to dispute it, resolving it during the opinion-submission period will cost 20% less.
References
- Easy-to-Find Practical Law Information Fines for Traffic Law Violations
- M Today Report on Fine and Penalty Fee Standards
The amounts, demerit points, and surcharge standards follow the materials above. Amounts by zone, including child protection zones, vary by violation type, so please check the details stated on the notice.