Ngày 1.2, tờ Sports Kyunghyang đưa tin, nam diễn viên Kim Seon Ho đã thành lập một công ty riêng vào tháng 1.2024, đăng ký địa chỉ công ty trùng với nơi ở của mình tại quận Yongsan, Seoul (Hàn Quốc).
Kim Seon Ho holds the position of CEO, while his parents are named as internal directors and auditors.
Although putting entertainment-related industries into business purposes, this legal entity does not register for the business of planning public arts and culture.
Experts and denouncers have pointed out many unusual signs related to the activities of this legal entity.
According to the testimony, the company paid Kim Seon Ho's parents monthly salaries of up to several hundred thousand to tens of millions of won. Then this money was reversed to the actor's personal account - an act suspected of being fake labor costs.
Kim Seon Ho's father is said to have used the company's credit card for personal expenses, and a luxury Genesis GV80 registered under a legal entity to reduce taxes through cost accounting.
According to Sports Kyunghyang, this is considered an act of increasing company costs to deduct taxes, thereby reducing corporate income tax. The use of legal entity cards for personal purposes can also constitute the crime of breach of trust and embezzlement in nghiệp vụ.
Because the company is at the same address as Kim Seon Ho's residence and does not have a suitable professional operating license, this legal entity is suspected of being a "ghost company" mainly used for the purpose of income distribution.
When Kim Seon Ho and Cha Eun Woo are both suspected of tax evasion related to their private companies, strict supervision is shifting to Fantagio - the joint management company of both artists.
Nhiều ý kiến cho rằng, Fantagio khó có thể không biết về những cấu trúc thanh toán bất thường này. Nếu Fantagio làm ngơ hoặc trực tiếp tham gia, đây sẽ là vi phạm nghiêm trọng tính minh bạch kế toán của một công ty niêm yết.
Thời điểm Kim Seon Ho thành lập công ty gia đình cũng thu hút sự chú ý. Tháng 1.2024, khi Kim Seon Ho lập công ty này cũng là lúc anh đang đàm phán tái ký hợp đồng với công ty cũ Salt Entertainment, đồng thời là khoảng 1 năm trước khi chuyển sang Fantagio vào tháng 3.2025.
Trên thực tế, trong quá trình ký hợp đồng độc quyền với Fantagio, Kim Seon Ho đã nhận khoản phí ký hợp đồng lên tới 2 tỉ won. Các chuyên gia cho rằng, anh đã chuẩn bị sẵn pháp nhân để “đón” khoản tiền hợp đồng này từ trước.
There are currently suspicions that in Fantagio, not only Cha Eun Woo but also Kim Seon Ho may be applied the same mechanism of "round payment through family legal entities".
Notably, in addition to the arrears of 20 billion won for Cha Eun Woo, Fantagio was also required to recover 8.2 billion won in taxes.
Lawyer Noh Jong Eon, chief representative of Jonjae Law Firm, said: "If Fantagio repeats the application of this tax evasion model to key artists, then this is a sign of intentionality.
If the company knows clearly but still intentionally pays contract money through legal entities, they are not only accomplices in tax evasion but may also be prosecuted for breach of trust in nghiệp vụ.
He added that if the amount of tax evasion or damage exceeds 500 million won, the case may be subject to the application of the Law on Special Severe Penalties, with the possibility of being severely punished.
Fantagio admitted the existence of the company CEOed by Kim Seon Ho, but said: "This is a legal entity that has not been operating for more than 1 year. We have realized the possibility of problems arising and are proceeding with dissolution procedures.
Fantagio further explained: "This wizard was formed by Kim Seon Ho before, not realizing it could become a problem. The purpose is not to save taxes but because he is working in theater and intends to stick with this field for a long time".
