Ghana pays Up Fines In Seoul

Seoul metropolitan government announced Sunday that only 2.4% or 73 out of 3,047 parking violation fines imposed on 87 diplomatic establishments were paid last year. Seoul imposed fines totaling W121.88 million in 2001. Ghana with three cases, paid all fines while the United States (66.7%, or 34 out of 51 cases), Brazil (33%, or 3 out of 9) and Australia (25.8%, 8 out of 31 cases) had the relatively highest rate of paying fines. By diplomatic mission, France violated parking laws the most with 372 cases, followed by Russia with 371, Mongolia with 223, Sudan with 152, Libya with 111 and Algeria with 100. Among them, 68 embassies including France, Russia, Sudan, and Libya have never paid the penalties imposed, whilst those from Mongolia, South Africa, Italy and Canada paid only once. Switzerland and the Congo had no tickets to pay off during last year.