Allegations have surfaced that actor Kim Seon Ho, currently signed with Fantagio, has been operating a private family-run corporation to evade taxes, following a pattern remarkably similar to his labelmate Cha Eun Woo. According to a report by Sports Kyunghyang on Feb. 1, 2026 KST, Kim Seon Ho established a separate performance planning corporation in January 2024, listing his own residence in Yongsan, Seoul, as the company address. While Kim Seon Ho serves as the CEO, his parents are listed as internal directors and auditors.
Experts and whistleblowers have raised several red flags regarding the operation of this entity. Testimony suggests the corporation paid Kim Seon Ho's parents tens of thousands of dollars in monthly salaries, which were then transferred back to his personal account—a practice suspected to be fictitious labor costs. Furthermore, his father reportedly used the corporate credit card for personal expenses, and a luxury Genesis GV80 was registered under the corporation to reduce taxes through expense processing. Since the company shares an address with the residence of Kim Seon Ho and lacks a professional license, it is suspected of being a paper company used solely for income distribution.
As the identical pattern of tax evasion has been identified in both Cha Eun Woo and Kim Seon Ho, intense scrutiny is now shifting toward their agency, Fantagio. It is argued that the agency could not have been unaware of these irregular settlement structures. If Fantagio turned a blind eye or actively participated in these schemes, it would be a severe violation of accounting transparency for a publicly traded company. Notably, apart from the 15 million USD penalty handed to Cha Eun Woo, Fantagio itself was ordered to pay 6.1 million USD in back taxes.
Noh Jong Eon, lead attorney at Law Firm Jonjae, stated, "If Fantagio repeatedly applied this suspicious tax evasion structure to its core artists, it constitutes evidence that strongly suggests intentionality." He emphasized that if the agency deliberately paid contract fees to these entities, it could be considered an accomplice in violating the Punishment of Tax Evaders Act and face charges of professional breach of trust. If the amounts involved exceed 375,000 USD, it would trigger the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, leading to severe legal consequences for both the agency and the artist. In response, Fantagio admitted the corporation exists but claimed it has not been operational for over a year and is undergoing liquidation, maintaining they were unaware it could pose a legal issue.
SEE ALSO: 2PM’s Nichkhun reveals stalking and assault incident, warns fan in Instagram Story
SHARE
