On March 14, 2025 (KST), it was reported that actor Yoo Yeon Seok—best known for his roles in hit K-Dramas like Hospital Playlist and When The Phone Rings—was penalized by the Korean National Tax Service for alleged tax evasion, including unpaid income tax.
The report alleged that Yoo’s entertainment agency business, Forever Entertainment, was audited and taxed an additional ₩7.00 billion KRW (about $4.82 million USD) as a result. However, King Kong by STARSHIP, the agency managing Yoo Yeon Seok, claimed that the actor has since filed for another review and is waiting for a formal notification from the NTS.
Actor Yoo Yeon Seok Hit With 7 Billion KRW Penalty For Alleged Tax Evasion
In the meanwhile, Yoo Yeon Seok’s upcoming SBS K-Drama role has garnered attention and triggered negative response from K-Drama fans. Back in September 2024, the actor was announced to lead Shin Yi Rang’s Law Firm (official English title TBD, “신이랑 법률사무소”), about a lawyer who sees spirits.
While very little details about the show and the role have been made available, avid K-Drama fans are hoping SBS would rethink the casting amid the massive tax scandal.
- “What’s wrong with Korean actors? F*ck.”
- “I mean… Ju Ji Hoon did drugs and then played a doctor, so. Haha.”
- “A realistic portrayal, I’d say.”
- “Man, Korean actors have it so easy.”
- “LMAO.”
- “Get him off the cast.”
- “I won’t be watching, then.”
- “Step down from the role.”
- “If the lawyer he’s going to play also evades taxes, then fine.”
- “We got a druggie playing a doctor and now a tax fraudster playing a lawyer.”
Shin Yi Rang’s Law Firm was initially reported to air sometime in the second half of 2025. But it was not included in SBS’s lineup of 2025 K-Dramas, assumed to have been pushed to the first half of 2026 instead.
Read more:
National Tax Service Launches Large-Scale Investigation On Korean Celebrities For Tax Evasion