Singer-actor Park Yoo-chun makes naughty list for tax evasion

Singer and actor Park Yoo-chun [NEWS1]

Singer and actor Park Yoo-chun has evaded 409 million won ($ 315,000) worth of taxes since 2016, the National Tax Service said Thursday.

The National Tax Service released a list of 7,966 taxpayers who have had overdue taxes worth at least 200 million won for more than a year on its website Thursday, among which were celebrities including Park.

Of the listed taxpayers, 4,939 were individuals and 3,027 were companies.

Actor Park Jun-gyu was also on the list, with 334 million won worth of overdue taxes.

Park Yoo-chun debuted as a member of TVXQ in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In 2009, the boy band's three members — Park Yoo-chun, Kim Jae-joong and Kim Jun-su — filed a law suit against SM Entertainment arguing that their contracts were unfair. They left the band and agency and formed a new boy band, JYJ, the following year.

Park had been working as a singer and actor until he was accused of sexual assault in 2016, of which he was later cleared of charges. He was sentenced to a 10-month suspended prison term with two years of probation in 2019 for drug abuse and later was embroiled in a legal dispute in 2021 with his former agency Recielo.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]