Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Actors to pay hundreds of millions of won in back taxes
Joo Sang-wook and Han Chae-young. / Korea Times file
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
Two top actors have been ordered to pay tens of millions of won in back taxes.
They are Joo Sang-wook and Han Chae-young.
Joo's agency said: “We faithfully complied with a tax audit. We will pay the sum of taxes as asked in its entirety.”
The agency admitted having over-reported expenses, which enabled Joo to pay less than what he owed the state.
His agency denied it was a special audit targeting high-income tax dodgers.
Han's agency also issued an apology. Most of the back taxes the two owe are those not paid on their incomes. The agency said it was an honest mistake and would not happen again.
According to reports, the two were among
― including entertainers, famous YouTubers, athletes and lawyers ― who were investigated for tax evasion.