Kim Seon Ho’s former agency has broken its silence amid growing tax avoidance allegations, saying it simply complied with the actor’s requests.
The controversy erupted after it was revealed that Kim Seon Ho received settlement payments through a one-person family company he set up during his time with his previous agency, raising questions about possible tax avoidance and legal violations.
On the 3rd, a representative from Kim Seon Ho’s current agency, Fantagio, said the payments were only temporary, explaining that “after the company was established in January 2024, settlements were briefly received from the former agency.” The former agency echoed that position, telling Ten Asia, “We simply deposited the funds into the account the actor requested.”
Fantagio has denied any deliberate tax evasion, stating the company was created for theater production and related activities. The agency added that there had been no actual business activity for about a year following Kim Seon Ho’s transfer and that the corporation is now being shut down.
Still, criticism continues. By receiving income through the corporation SHD rather than under his personal name, Kim Seon Ho benefited from a major tax gap: individual income in Korea can be taxed at rates up to 49.5 percent, while corporate income is capped at 19 percent.
Suspicions surrounding the company itself have also intensified. The corporation’s registered address reportedly matches Kim Seon Ho’s home, fueling claims it functioned as a paper company. Reports further allege that his parents, listed as internal director and auditor, received high salaries and used corporate credit cards for personal and entertainment expenses.
Legal risks may follow. The company reportedly generated management-related revenue without being registered as an entertainment management business, a required designation under Korean law. Operating without registration while collecting such revenue can carry criminal penalties.
Public attention has only grown as fellow Fantagio artist Cha Eun Woo has also been linked to similar allegations, placing renewed scrutiny on the agency and the industry as a whole.
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In the meantime, watch Kim Seon Ho in Catch the Ghost on Amasian TV for free.
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