South Korean actress Lee Hanee has been ordered to pay six billion won ($4.2 million) in unpaid taxes, marking the largest tax penalty ever imposed on an entertainment figure in the country, according to Chosun Biz.
The Seoul Regional Tax Service’s investigation into Lee and her company, Hope Project, which began last September, uncovered tax irregularities between the actress and her former agency, People Entertainment. The investigation stemmed from a non-regular tax probe conducted by the Gangnam Tax Office in 2022.
The fine significantly exceeds previous entertainment industry penalties, surpassing actress Song Hye Kyo’s 3.5 billion won fine in 2012 and actor Kwon Sang Woo’s 1 billion won penalty in 2020.
Lee, who was Miss Korea 2006 and Miss Universe 2007 third runner-up, established her company in 2015 under the name Hani Co., Ltd., later rebranding it as Ireeyun Co., Ltd. and finally Hope Project. She served as CEO until January 2023, when her husband assumed the role while she remained as internal director.
Responding to the case, Lee’s agency, TeamHope, denied any intentional wrongdoing, stating the additional tax resulted from “differences in perspectives between the tax authorities and tax representatives.” The agency emphasised that Lee had “faithfully responded” to the investigation and fulfilled her tax obligations according to law.
Lee is known for her roles in various successful productions, including “Extreme Job,” “Knight Flower,” and “The Fiery Priest,” with her newest project, the Netflix drama “Ama,” scheduled for release soon.
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