On 24/12, Gangnam District Police in Seoul referred the case of Miss Korea 2006 Honey Lee, 42, and her husband Peter Jang to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. They face investigation into alleged violations of the Act on the Development of the Pop Culture and Arts Industry.
Authorities determined that the couple's company, Hope Project, operated for nearly 10 years without completing required registration procedures. According to TenAsia, Honey Lee and her husband were not detained.
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"South Korea's most charming miss" Honey Lee. Photo: Harper's Bazaar |
"South Korea's most charming miss" Honey Lee. Photo: Harper's Bazaar
Hope Project was established in 2015 under the name Hanee Joint Stock Company. It subsequently changed its name multiple times, adopting its current name in 2022. Honey Lee held a key leadership role in the company until 1/2023. Her husband serves as the chief executive officer, while the actress continues in her role as an internal director.
In September, South Korean media reported that Hope Project had been operating as an artist management business for an extended period without registering as a pop culture and arts organization. Honey Lee's representatives stated at the time that they were not fully aware of the legal registration obligations. When the issue came to light, she initiated the necessary procedures.
According to Seoul News, Honey Lee's representatives later confirmed that Hope Project completed its business registration as stipulated by Article 26, Clause 1 of the Act on the Development of the Pop Culture and Arts Industry, receiving its certificate on 28/10. A company representative stated they would fully cooperate with authorities during the ongoing investigation.
South Korean law stipulates that organizations or individuals operating in artist management without legal registration may face a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a 20 million KRW fine (approximately 370 million dong). Before Honey Lee, several South Korean artists faced similar controversies for operating personal companies without proper registration.
Trailer for "Aema" starring Honey Lee. Video: Netflix
Additionally, last year, the Seoul Tax Service Bureau levied approximately six billion KRW (about 110 billion dong) in back taxes against Honey Lee. The actress's side stated there was no tax evasion, attributing the collection to differences in the application of tax regulations.
Honey Lee, whose real name is Lee Ha Nee, was born in 1983. She was crowned Miss Korea in 2006 and placed third runner-up at Miss Universe 2007. In 2015, Playboy magazine named her at the top of its list of the 11 sexiest South Korean beauties of all time.
Venturing into acting, she made her mark in both television and film through works such as: Taste of Love, The Legend of Hong Gil Dong, Please Come Back, Mister, The Fiery Priest, Black Money, One the Woman, and Aema.
Mai Anh (According to Chosun, TenAsia, Seoul News)
