The actress Lee Ha-nui (41) has been hit with a tax imposition of 6 billion won, and suspicions have now arisen regarding the source of funds for her real estate purchases. According to the real estate industry on the 19th, Lee Ha-nui’s personal corporation acquired a building with a land area of 332㎡ and two above-ground floors in Hannam-dong, Seoul, for 6.55 billion won in 2017. The area currently trades at around 140 million won per 3.3㎡, estimating the market value of the land at around 15 billion won.
Lee Ha-nui established the corporation ‘Hani Co., Ltd.’ in October 2015, which was renamed ‘Ireyoun Co., Ltd.’ in January 2018, and later changed to ‘Hope Project’ in September 2022. She served as CEO and director until January 2023, and now her husband is the CEO while she remains a director.
From March 2018 to October 2020, Hope Project’s corporate address was registered at this building, now operating as a restaurant, generating rental income for the company. The corporation, set up with a capital of 10 million won, acquired the expensive real estate without additional capital input, leading to suspicions about the source of the funds. At the time of acquisition in 2017, no loan records were reported on the registration. In 2020, a mortgage of 4.2 billion won was placed on the building, which was later discharged. In 2023, a new mortgage of 3 billion won was set. Considering the usual 120% ratio for secured mortgages, the actual loan amount is estimated to be around 2.5 billion won.
In September of last year, the Seoul Regional Tax Office conducted an intensive tax audit on Lee Ha-nui and Hope Project, resulting in a collection of approximately 6 billion won in taxes, which has been noted as the highest amount compared to past levies on other celebrities like Song Hye-kyo, Jun Ji-hyun, Kwon Sang-woo, and Park Hee-soon.
Team Hope, representing Lee Ha-nui, stated, “Lee Ha-nui fully cooperated with the tax audit, conducted as part of an irregular integrated planning audit on corporate business artists by the Seoul Regional Tax Office, under the advice of tax agents, complying with laws and procedures and fulfilling her duty to pay taxes.” They added, “The additional tax was due to a difference in perspective between the tax authorities and tax agents, and it has been fully paid, having no relation to intentional tax evasion.”