Ji Chang Wook’s agency has released an official statement regarding the outcomes of his recent tax audit.
On May 2, Field News reported that Ji Chang Wook underwent an irregular tax audit conducted by the National Tax Service in March. The report indicated that the actor was required to pay billions of won (equivalent to millions of dollars) as a consequence of the audit.
On the same day, Ji Chang Wook's agency, Spring Company, responded by issuing the following statement:
Greetings. This is Spring Company.
We are providing an official statement in response to the report concerning our actor Ji Chang Wook's tax audit.
First and foremost, we sincerely apologize for causing concern among many individuals due to this incident. However, we wish to clarify that there was no intentional omission of income or tax evasion through dishonest practices.
Throughout the recent tax audit, our company transparently provided all pertinent materials and cooperated fully with the investigation. Nevertheless, we encountered a difference of opinion with the tax authorities regarding the interpretation and application of tax laws, specifically concerning whether the earnings from the actor's activities in the entertainment sector should be attributed to the individual or the corporation based on the principle of taxation grounded in economic substance.
Despite this divergence in opinion, we respect the conclusions drawn from the National Tax Service's audit, as Ji Chang Wook has consistently complied with all tax-related laws and procedures without any complications and has always prioritized the diligent fulfillment of his tax obligations since his debut in 2008. Consequently, we intend to pay the imposed penalty tax promptly, following the appropriate procedures.
To avert a recurrence of a similar incident in the future, we will conduct a thorough review of our tax and accounting management systems, and we will continue to diligently meet our tax obligations while ensuring compliance with all regulations.
