The controversy emerged after it was revealed that the company had not been registered as a popular culture and arts management business for approximately 3 years and 8 months. As the issue spread, actress Jeon Jong-seo’s agency firmly denied any wrongdoing, stating that “the matter is completely unrelated to tax evasion, and all income was transparently settled to the individual.”
According to film industry sources on February 10, Jeon Jong-seo established a one-person corporation named “Summer” in June 2022. The company only completed its official registration as a popular culture and arts management business on February 4, nearly four years after its founding.
The corporation reportedly lists film and drama content planning, development, production, and actor management as part of its business scope. Jeon Jong-seo serves as the CEO, while Lee Chung-hyun, who has been publicly dating the actress since 2021 after working together on The Call, is registered as an inside director.
Under South Korea’s Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, any entity operating an entertainment management business must register with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or relevant local authorities. This regulation led some to raise questions about the delayed registration.
In response, Jeon Jong-seo’s agency, Andmarq, explained that “Summer was not established for the purpose of artist management, but rather for content planning, development, and production.” The agency clarified that while management-related items were broadly included at the time of incorporation, there were no concrete plans to operate a management business, which led them to believe that separate registration was unnecessary. They added that after the issue was raised, the company reviewed the matter and corrected the procedure accordingly.
Addressing suspicions linked to recent tax evasion cases involving one-person agencies in the entertainment industry, Andmarq emphasized that Jeon Jong-seo’s situation is entirely different. The agency stressed that since signing an exclusive contract with Andmark, all of the actress’s income has been properly, transparently settled and paid.
Jeon Jong-seo debuted in 2018 with Burning, quickly gaining recognition for her performance. She later starred in The Call, Nothing Serious, and the Hollywood film Ballerina. Most recently, she met audiences again through the release of Project Y.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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