2PM’s Junho has denied all allegations of illegal tax evasion, through a statement released by his agency, JYP Entertainment.
JYP Entertainment said on December 26 that Lee Junho was the subject of a tax investigation in September 2023 by the Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Regional Tax Bureau.
The agency said the investigation was not due to any illicit activity on the actor’s part, but rather was part of a regular and extraordinary corporate tax audit for artists.
The agency stressed that the investigation was not due to suspicions of tax evasion.
“Following the advice of a tax representative, Junho diligently filed his taxes and paid additional taxes due to differences in perspective between the tax authorities and the tax representative,” JYP said.
The agency explained that this was the first time in Lee Junho’s 17-year career to have been subjected to such an audit and confirmed that it had adhered to all relevant laws and procedures.
“There were no intentional omissions in tax reporting. Any discrepancies were related to different viewpoints and have been fully addressed,” JYP said.
The agency also highlighted Lee Junho’s commitment to meeting his tax obligations over the years.
“Since his debut, Lee Junho has been diligent in fulfilling his duties as a taxpayer and there have been no problems regarding his taxes,” they said.
Previous reports stated that the Seoul Regional Tax Bureau conducted a special tax audit on Lee Junho in September 2023 and imposed a significant tax payment.
The audit took into account Junho’s ownership of multiple properties.
“Hi, I’m JYP Entertainment.
We would like to address the reports regarding our artist Lee Junho. After confirming with him, we would like to clarify that he dutifully responded to a non-routine comprehensive tax audit conducted by the Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Regional Tax Bureau in September 2023 as part of the artist’s business audit. This was not an investigation based on any suspicions of tax evasion.
He filed his taxes faithfully under the guidance of his tax representative and paid additional taxes due to the different perspectives between the tax authorities and the tax representative.
This is the first extraordinary audit that Lee Junho has undergone in his 17-year career and he has complied with all legal procedures. Any discrepancies in taxes have been paid and the allegations of intentional tax evasion are not true.
Since his debut, Lee Junho has been diligent in fulfilling his tax obligations and there have been no problems regarding his taxes.
Thank you.”
