On December 26th, JYP Entertainment stated, “ Lee Junho fully cooperated with a tax audit conducted by the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Investigation Division 2. This audit was part of a non-regular integrated tax audit for corporate-registered artists. We want to clarify that this audit was not conducted due to any allegations of tax evasion.”

The agency further explained, “Acting on the advice of a tax agent, Lee Junho faithfully filed his taxes. However, due to differences in interpretation between the tax authorities and the tax agent, additional taxes were paid. This was the first non-regular tax audit he has faced in 17 years. He complied with all legal procedures, settled the disputed amount, and there was no intentional tax evasion.”

JYP emphasized, “Since his debut, Lee Junho has diligently fulfilled his tax obligations, and we wish to stress that there are no issues regarding his compliance with tax laws.”

Lee Junho’s personal investments and financial activities have drawn attention. In February 2019, he acquired ownership of two units in the luxurious “The Reverse Cheongdam” officetel in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. In March this year, he purchased a four-story commercial building in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul for 17.5 billion KRW through the family corporation “JF Company”.

The incident has reignited discussions about the need for meticulous tax management among high-earning celebrities. Even when discrepancies arise unintentionally, the resulting image damage can be significant.

Similar cases have seen varying outcomes. Webtoon artist Yaongyi (Kim Na-young), best known for “True Beauty”, faced a tax audit in November 2022, which led to a fine for some discrepancies. She publicly apologized, stating, “This is clearly my responsibility, and it happened due to my lack of attention.” Despite clarifying the legal ambiguities around VAT in the publishing and webtoon industries, the incident prompted her to remove social media posts flaunting her wealth, including luxury cars.

On the other hand, some figures have benefited from tax audits. Yoo Jae-suk underwent an intensive tax audit in June~July, which scrutinized his recently purchased building and income details. However, the audit revealed no issues, further solidifying his reputation as a model citizen. Public sentiment praised Yoo Jae-suk for his thorough compliance, contrasting him with other celebrities who often cite “oversights” or “unintentional omissions” in similar situations.