It was belatedly revealed that actor Hwang Jung-eum underwent an intensive tax investigation last year, but stated that it was not intentional tax evasion or non-payment.
Hwang Jung-eum's agency, Y1 Entertainment, told Hankyung.com on the 30th that Hwang participated in the National Tax Service's tax investigation in 2023 and paid additional taxes due to differences in interpretation between tax authorities and accountants, noting that there were no tax issues during the process of purchasing and selling buildings, and there were no intentional tax evasion or non-payment incidents.
Additionally, the agency noted that Hwang Jung-eum will diligently fulfill the duty to pay taxes, which is a national obligation, in accordance with relevant laws.
Earlier, it was reported that Hwang Jung-eum had undergone an intensive tax investigation by the tax authorities last year and paid a large amount in back taxes. Along with this, there were suspicions of tax evasion during the sale of a building acquired under a family corporation's name.
The specific reasons behind the initiation of the tax investigation on Hwang Jung-eum are not confirmed, but given the nature of the investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office's second investigation bureau, it is speculated to be part of a 'corporate artist non-regular integrated planning tax investigation' targeting high-asset individuals.
Hwang Jung-eum, under the name of the family corporation Hunmin Jeongeum Entertainment, purchased a building located in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu in March 2018 for 6.25 billion won and sold it for 11 billion won in Oct. 2021. It is reported that a capital gain of 5 billion won was realized in 3 years and 7 months after the acquisition of the building.
Additionally, in May 2020, a standalone dwelling located in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was purchased for about 4.6 billion won. The dwelling, with a size from basement 1 to ground 2 floors (land area 347㎡, total floor area 200㎡), was transacted at around 44.3 million won per 3.3㎡ (based on land area). Considering that current nearby dwellings are priced at 70 to 80 million won per 3.3㎡, one could expect a capital gain of more than 3 billion won upon sale.