Jeon Jong Seo has officially registered her personal corporation, “Summer, Co., Ltd.,” as a popular culture and arts planning business. The 32-year-old actress registered the company nearly three years and eight months after it was first established.
On February 10, her agency ANDMARQ explained that “Summer” was created for content planning, development, and production purposes. It was never intended to operate as an entertainment management company.
The agency emphasized that it was ‘not a management company,’ adding, “There were no related plans, so we did not recognize the need to register. However, after recently confirming the unregistered issue, registration was completed on February 4.”
Jeon Jong Seo founded “Summer” in June 2022 and was listed as the company’s CEO. Film director Lee Chung Hyun is registered as an inside director. The company’s business scope included management-related items, which later led to scrutiny.
ANDMARQ clarified that it was responsible for production-related work involving “Summer.” This included handling contracts for Lee Chung Hyun’s directing and screenplay work, as well as producing a music video in 2024. The agency emphasized that it did not manage the company or Jeon’s entertainment activities.
The agency also firmly denied suspicions of tax evasion. After Jeon Jong Seo signed an exclusive contract with ANDMARQ, all income from her entertainment activities was paid directly to the actress herself, not to the corporation. The company’s finances were used only for costs related to content production and development, not personal income.
According to registration records reported by Korean media, “Summer” is officially listed as being involved in film and drama production, development, and distribution. Its business scope also includes actor entertainment and management services, rental of film and broadcasting equipment, production facilities, and content planning and sales.
Despite this broad scope, ANDMARQ stressed that the company’s actual role was focused on content creation rather than artist management.
The issue centers on South Korea’s Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act.
Under the law, any corporation or individual business with more than one person involved in entertainment planning or management must register as a popular culture and arts planning business. If a company continues to operate without registration, it may face penalties of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (around $14,000).
The regulations also require that any changes to registered business information be reported within 30 days. Industry sources note that Jeon Jong Seo’s case is not unique. Several celebrities with one-person agencies have recently been found to be operating without proper registration and are now correcting their status. Recently, top K-drama actors Cha Eunwoo and Kim Seon Ho have been embroiled in similar tax evasion allegations.
On the work front, Jeon Jong Seo recently appeared in the film “Project Y,” which was released in January.