Actor Ryu Jun-yeol's profit of several hundred million won from investing in a Seoul Gangnam building under the name of a family corporation has been reexamined three years later.
On the 8th, MB's Straight aired a critical segment titled "One-person agencies, are you a fool if you don't do it?" that examined the practice of celebrities operating one-person agencies as family corporations.
It began with notification of a tax evasion surcharge in the 20 billion won range for singer and actor Cha Eun-woo. Cha Eun-woo received notice of the highest-ever surcharge for a celebrity, in the 20 billion won range, amid allegations of tax evasion through a family corporation one-person agency while serving in the military. The aftermath has heightened concerns about the operation of one-person agencies in the entertainment industry.
In this context, the Straight production team introduced cases including actress Lee Ha-nee, who previously received the largest surcharge for a celebrity, actor Ryu Jun-yeol, who realized building price gains through loans in the name of a corporation, and actress Hwang Jung-eum, who used corporate funds like personal funds to invest in cryptocurrency. Among these, Ryu Jun-yeol's case, which received relatively less attention, was belatedly reexamined.
Ryu Jun-yeol's realization of building price gains through a family corporation actually occurred in 2022, and it was reported at that time. At that time, Ryu Jun-yeol bought land at a location in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for 5.8 billion won, demolished a one-story building, constructed a seven-story building above ground, and sold it in 2022 for 15 billion won, drawing attention. Because Ryu Jun-yeol's family corporation took out a 90% loan at the time of the initial land purchase, the after-tax price gain was estimated at 4 billion won.
Straight noted that the corporation in question was a family corporation in which Ryu Jun-yeol served as an inside director and Ryu Jun-yeol's mother served as the representative director, and that the actual funds invested in the real estate purchase were around 1 billion won, meaning the loan proportion was large. Generally, when purchasing commercial buildings under a corporation's name, loans are relatively easier to obtain than for individuals, which is said to be exploited by famous celebrities' one-person agencies.
But at the time, Ryu Jun-yeol's agency denied the related allegations, saying, "We planned to build a building in Gangnam to run a clothing business. Due to COVID-19, we postponed the business and decided to sell the building." It was also reported that the private corporation established by Ryu Jun-yeol was not a paper company but was set up to manage income from Ryu Jun-yeol's personal activities such as photo exhibitions. <
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by MBC.
[OSEN]