Actor Ji Chang Wook's agency, Spring Company, has finally spoken out regarding reports that the actor was subject to additional taxes worth tens of billions of won.
In an official statement on June 2, the agency apologized to the public for the concern raised by the issue.
However, the agency emphasized that there was never any deliberate attempt to conceal income or illegally evade taxes.
They explained that their differences with the tax authorities arose over the interpretation of regulations regarding the actor's income.
According to the agency, the debate focused on whether profits from entertainment activities should be recorded in the name of an individual or a company.
The company emphasized that Ji Chang Wook has always complied with the law since his debut in 2008 and has never encountered any tax issues before.
The agency stated that they respect the results of the tax authorities' investigation and will promptly pay the additional taxes according to applicable procedures.
Here is the full statement from Spring Company's agency:
“Hello, this is Spring Company.
We are issuing an official statement regarding reports of a tax investigation involving our actor, Ji Chang Wook.
First, we sincerely apologize for causing concern to many people due to this issue. However, we want to state clearly that there was absolutely no intentional omission of income or tax evasion through unlawful methods.
During the recent tax investigation, the company transparently submitted all relevant materials and faithfully cooperated with the investigation. However, we confirm that there are differences of opinion between the tax authorities and us regarding the interpretation and application of tax law, specifically regarding whether the profits generated from the actor's entertainment activities should be attributed to an individual or a corporation based on substantive tax principles.
Despite these differences in interpretation, since his debut in 2008, we have strictly complied with all relevant laws and procedures without any tax-related issues and have always prioritized faithfully fulfilling our tax obligations. Therefore, we respect the results of the National Tax Service's investigation and will promptly pay the tax amount due in accordance with relevant procedures.
To prevent similar issues from occurring in the future, we will review and "We are strengthening our tax management and accounting systems more comprehensively. We will continue to comply with applicable laws and principles while faithfully fulfilling our tax obligations."
Source: Allkpop
