Lee Jun-ho subjected to intensive tax investigation by government authorities, JYP Entertainment denies evasion allegations

Actor and idol Lee Jun-ho has come under scrutiny for alleged tax evasion by the Seoul government authorities. On December 26, 2024, news was broken by Ahn Jong-myeong of Tax & Finance News that the star was being investigated.

Reports revealed that an inquiry conducted in 2023 resulted in the authorities collecting a significant amount in additional taxes from him. Subsequently, on December 24, the Seoul Regional Office conducted an irregular tax audit to further examine the matter.

In response, his agency, JYP Entertainment, released a statement to address the situation, clarifying that Jun-ho has no outstanding taxes. The agency emphasized that he cooperated fully during the audit, resolved discrepancies stemming from differing tax interpretations, and paid the necessary amounts in compliance with the authorities’ findings.

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JYP Entertainment responds on Lee Jun-ho's behalf to tax matters imposed upon him

It has recently come to light that Lee Jun-ho, a member of the group 2PM and an actor, underwent an intensive tax audit by the National Tax Service (NTS).

According to sources within the taxation field on December 24, the Second Investigation Bureau of the Seoul Regional Tax Office conducted a non-scheduled tax investigation on Lee Jun-ho in September last year, reportedly recovering a significant amount in additional taxes. The investigation is believed to have been part of a "Non-Regular Comprehensive Tax Audit for Corporate Artists with High Net Worth."

Lee Jun-ho is well-known as a high-net-worth individual owning multiple real estate properties, most notably an officetel located in Cheongdam-dong. In February 2019, he acquired ownership of two units in the high-end officetel The Reverse Cheongdam in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from a trust company. Currently, each unit is estimated to be worth between 1.5 billion to 1.8 billion KRW (approximately $1.1 to $1.3 million).

Additionally, the actor became the owner of another high-value building earlier this year. In March, through his family corporation, JF Company, Lee purchased a commercial building on Apgujeong Rodeo Street in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for 17.5 billion KRW (approximately $13.3 million).

The exact motivation behind the NTS' decision to conduct a non-scheduled tax investigation on Lee Jun-ho is currently unknown. However, the Second Investigation Bureau of the Seoul Regional Tax Office has a history of conducting rigorous tax audits on high-net-worth individuals and well-known celebrities, including actors Kwon Sang-woo and Lee Byung-hun.

An NTS representative stated,

“The Second Investigation Bureau of the Seoul Regional Tax Office conducts tax audits on high-net-worth individuals and prominent celebrities. It is unlikely for such investigations to occur without cause.”

This implies that it is difficult for Lee Jun-ho to be entirely free from suspicions of tax omission or intentional evasion.

However, JYP Entertainment made a statement regarding this issue saying,

“Hello. This is JYP Entertainment, and we would like to inform you about the reports regarding our artist Lee Junho. We would like to inform you that he responded faithfully to the tax investigation conducted. Mr Lee has been active for a long time since his debut and has been faithful to his tax obligations, and there is nothing unsavoury about his taxes."

In this way, Jun-ho and his representatives have cleared the matter from their end but the final decision of the officials remains.