Lee Byung Hun’s agency clarified the reports surrounding the actor regarding his alleged tax evasion.
Aju News cited a media outlet that previously revealed the irregular (special) tax audit performed by the National Tax Service on the Squid Game actor. His agency, BH Entertainment, also underwent the same audit in September.
According to the report, Lee Byun Hun and BH Entertainment were fined additional taxes.
After the reports went viral, the actor’s agency clarified what was stated in the previous news and said that Lee Byung Hun was never involved in any tax evasion or any tax-related incidents.
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Lee Byung Hun’s Agency Releases Statement
On Feb. 28, BH Entertainment’s representative corrected the report and clarified that the multi-million fine was not for tax evasion.
“Lee has never had a single tax-related incident over the past 30 years,” the official said Tuesday. “The fine issued by the National Tax Service during accounting was for the difference in advertising guarantee payment periods and bonuses paid to employees at our agency.”
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Special tax audits mentioned by the news outlet are only being conducted if there is a suspicion of tax evasion.
Meanwhile, BH Entertainment also addressed the 10-story building mentioned in the local reports. The building in question, which Lee Byung Hun bought, is located in Yeongdeungpo. He reportedly acquired it in 2018 before selling it in 2021 and earning around 10 billion KRW ($7.6 million) in profit.
Per BH Entertainment, the recent tax investigation and the sale of the property were unrelated.
Lee Byung Hun Ranks 10th on March Movie Star Brand Reputation Rankings
Amid the misinformation issue, Lee Byung Hun and his fans recently celebrated the actor’s appearance on KRBI’s brand reputation ranking.
The Korean Business Research Institute revealed that Lee Byung Hun is among the buzzworthy movie stars who made buzz from Feb. 1 to Mar. 1. The rankings were determined by analyzing different indexes, including interaction, media coverage, and consumer participation.
Lee Byung Hun secured the 10th spot. Meanwhile, Choi Min Sik ranked first, and he is followed by Son Suk Ku, Song Joong Ki, Im Si Hwan, Lee Je Hoon, Lee Sung Min, Jeon Do Yeon, Hyun Bin, and Gong Yoo.
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