Controversy surrounding comedian Park Na-rae continues, with embezzlement allegations related to her ex-boyfriend being treated as a major issue. A practicing lawyer said proving it does not appear easy.
As the conflict between Park Na-rae and her former manager is increasingly turning into a mudslinging fight, Park Na-rae's ex-boyfriend is drawing attention as a key figure. The former manager raised allegations of power harassment and other issues, claiming that Park Na-rae paid her ex-boyfriend a salary from company funds and provided about 300 million won for a jeonse deposit. Park Na-rae revealed details about her ex-boyfriend in an interview, but more concrete proof would be needed to clear the related allegations.
On the YTN radio program Ewonhwa lawyer's case X-file that aired on the 16th, lawyer Kang Eun-ha appeared to discuss the recent controversy between Park Na-rae and her former manager. Lawyer Kang Eun-ha drew attention by especially offering legal opinions on Park Na-rae's embezzlement allegations and accusations of poor company management.
Lawyer Kang Eun-ha said the key legal issue is whether salaries were actually paid to family members who did not work, explaining, "For tax law purposes, salaries or labor costs are recognized as expenses only if actual labor was provided and payment was made at a reasonable level as compensation. If family members were formally listed as executives or employees but did not actually perform work and were nevertheless paid, that could constitute false labor cost accounting beyond simple tax saving and could be subject to tax evasion or denial of unlawful acts of calculation."
She added, "The issue of salaries paid to family members is classified by the National Tax Service as a typical form of tax evasion and is examined relatively strictly." She emphasized that properly explaining those allegations is necessary to avoid legal responsibility.
Lawyer Kang Eun-ha said regarding Park Na-rae's explanation of the embezzlement allegations, "If it can be proven that the person actually worked for the company and was paid a salary at a level that is acceptable, it may be possible to be cleared of charges that the ex-boyfriend and mother were falsely registered as employees and embezzled funds," adding, "however, it does not look easy." She said Park Na-rae's interview alone was not sufficient to prove that claim.
Park Na-rae previously stated her position directly on allegations of embezzlement related to her ex-boyfriend's salary in an interview with Daily Sports. In the interview, Park Na-rae explained, "The accounting team handled only tax matters, and practical tasks such as ledger preparation and appearance contracts were handled by my ex-boyfriend," saying that he majored in business administration, studied accounting, and was deeply involved in company matters such as reviewing contracts.
Regarding the claim that the jeonse deposit for her ex-boyfriend was provided with company funds, she said, "It was for employee welfare and went through legitimate procedures." She said Park Na-rae proceeded after checking with the accounting team, and that collateral setting and interest payments were conducted normally.
Meanwhile, the former manager rebutted that Park Na-rae's so-called "business administration major" ex-boyfriend "attended university for only one semester and dropped out, making him a nonprofessional," and continued to allege that Park Na-rae charged luxury gifts for her ex-boyfriend to the corporate card.
As Park Na-rae's explanations and the former manager's rebuttals go back and forth, attention is focused on whether Park Na-rae can present persuasive evidence to avoid legal responsibility.
[Photo] OSEN DB, Park Na-rae SNS.
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