The controversy over actor Kim Seon-ho's "family corporation" has flared up again. With official confirmation that settlement payments were received through the corporation, the tax-saving and tax evasion suspicions that have been raised are not easily subsiding with explanations alone.
On the 3rd, Kim Seon-ho's agency Fantagio said, "It is true that after establishing the corporation in Jan. 2024, settlement payments were temporarily received from the former agency." However, the agency explained that the timing of the settlement differs from the "time when actual business activities were suspended" mentioned in its past position.
The starting point of the controversy was the revelation that Kim Seon-ho established a one-person corporation for performance planning with his home in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, as its address, named himself as CEO, and appointed his parents as inside director and auditor. Questions were then raised that he may have tried to reduce his tax burden by treating income of a personal nature as corporate income through this corporation, and the fact that the corporate address was the same as the residence and that business activity was not clear fueled suspicions of a paper company. Added to this were claims that salaries were paid to family members and questions over how the corporate card was used.
The agency has stressed, "The corporation was created for the purpose of theater production and related activities, and it is not a device for deliberate tax saving or tax evasion." It added, "After moving to Fantagio, actual business activities were suspended about a year ago, and we are currently proceeding with closure in accordance with laws and procedures."