Tax evasion allegations have been raised against actors such as Lee Hanee, Park Hee Soon, and Jun Ji Hyun. All of the actors claimed that the additional tax resulted from differences in interpretation with authorities and that there was no intentional tax evasion.
Field News reported on February 17 that the Seoul Regional Tax Office conducted an intensive tax audit on Lee Ha Nee and her company, Hope Project, in September last year, resulting in a hefty tax bill. The disclosed amount is a staggering 6 billion KRW ($4.1 million), making it one of the highest tax penalties ever imposed on a celebrity. Tax authorities previously imposed 3.5 billion KRW ($2.4 million) on Song Hye Kyo and 1 billion KRW ($695,000) on Kwon Sang Woo.
According to reports, Lee Hanee founded Hanee Co., Ltd. in 2015 and renamed it Hope Project in 2022. Her husband is the CEO, and she serves as an internal director. Her agency stated that she has met all tax obligations under legal guidance. They explained that the additional tax was due to interpretation differences with authorities, but she has fully paid it and it has nothing to do with tax evasion. Celebrity tax issues aren’t new, but the large sum involved in her case is casting a shadow over her upcoming Netflix series Aema and another project by writer Noh Hee Kyung.
Park Hee Soon also faced a tax controversy after the National Tax Service imposed an additional 800 million KRW ($555,864) following an audit. His agency, NS ENM, stated that the issue arose from differing interpretations between tax authorities and his representative. They claimed that Park has consistently followed tax guidelines and is fully cooperating with authorities. Regarding allegations that he filed a tax appeal, the agency firmly denied them.
Jun Ji Hyun paid 20 million KRW ($13,896) in extra taxes after selling a building for a large profit. Her agency said it was a routine tax adjustment due to a disagreement with the tax office over expenses and that it wasn’t related to any illegal activity.
>> Jun Ji Hyun Hit With Tax Audit, Agency Denies Wrongdoing
The Korean tax office has recently conducted intensive tax audits on many celebrities, online content creators, and athletes. Other famous figures, such as Lee Byung Hun, Junho, Kim Tae Hee, and Lee Min Ho, have also been audited and paid additional taxes ranging from tens of millions to billions of KRW.
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