Actor Lee Joon Gi has been hit with a massive tax penalty of ₩900 million KRW (~$670,000 USD), but he’s not backing down—he’s currently fighting the ruling through an appeal!

According to reports on March 19, the Seoul Gangnam Tax Office launched a tax investigation into Lee Joon Gi and his agency, Namoo Actors, in 2023.

The result? The National Tax Service (NTS) imposed a ₩900 million penalty, claiming tax irregularities. Lee Joon Gi initially requested a pre-assessment review, but when that was denied, he filed an appeal with the Tax Tribunal.

The issue revolves around financial transactions between Namoo Actors and JG Entertainment, a company Lee Joon Gi personally established.

In 2014, Lee Joon Gi founded JG Entertainment and later signed an exclusive contract with Namoo Actors.

Instead of paying Lee directly, Namoo Actors transferred his appearance fees to JG Entertainment.

JG Entertainment paid corporate taxes on the earnings.

However, the tax authorities weren’t convinced. They claimed:

These payments should have been considered Lee Joon Gi’s personal income, not corporate revenue.

Since corporate tax rates are capped at 24%, while personal income tax can go up to 45%, the NTS suspects tax avoidance.

The ₩900 million penalty was imposed because of this reclassification.

Lee Joon Gi’s team insists the tax ruling is unfair.

A Namoo Actors representative stated, "Lee Joon Gi respects the tax authorities' decision and has already paid the amount. However, this ruling is different from past tax practices."

They added, "The Gangnam Tax Office claims Namoo Actors should have paid Lee directly instead of JG Entertainment, but we followed advice from tax experts and acted within the law."

Meanwhile, JG Entertainment was co-founded by Lee Joon Gi and his father, with both acting as joint representatives.

With the legal battle ongoing, fans are keeping a close eye on whether Lee Joon Gi will win his appeal or have to accept the hefty tax bill. Stay tuned for updates!

Source (1)

Lee Jun Young recently opened up about the emotional toll of playing a villain—and how one powerful scene made him break down in tears behind the scenes.

On the May 1st episode of KBS 2TV’s variety show Problem Child in House, Lee Jun Young appeared alongside co-star Jung Eun Ji to promote their new KBS drama Pump Up the Healthy Love.

During the show, Lee Jun Young was asked about the most unforgettable villain he’s played. He chose his role as Han Su Gang in the film Brave Citizen.

He explained, “It was really tough to film. I had to act like I was leading school violence, and there was even a scene where I bullied a grandmother.”

The hosts were surprised, pointing out how kind and gentle he seems in real life. Lee Jun Young shared how he transforms for such roles.

“I try to act as bad as I can, but sometimes the director says, ‘You still look too nice.’ Then I focus even harder and adjust right away.”

He also revealed that filming one particular scene hit him hard emotionally. “My real grandmother was sick at the time,” he said.

“In one scene, there’s a grandma selling gimbap, and I ad-libbed by stubbing a cigarette out on the gimbap. I was really into character, but after filming, I just broke down. So many thoughts came to me and I started crying.”

Fans praised his dedication to acting but also felt moved by how deeply the role affected him. Lee Jun Young’s honesty gave a raw look at how even fictional roles can hit close to home.

Source: [1]