It was confirmed that Unification Minister Candidate Kwon Young-se was not paying about 20 million won in tax on his interest income and paid it late on the 15th, two days after he was nominated as the minister.



Candidate Kwon sold his Hyundai apartment in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul for 3.4 billion won in September 2019. I lent you billions of dollars.



Looking at the loan certificate between Candidate Kwon and his brother-in-law Yoo, included in the personnel hearing request submitted by Candidate Kwon to the National Assembly, it is written that the interest rate is 3% per annum, and 300 million won of the principal was repaid once in December 2020.



Candidate Kwon, who sold a Hyundai apartment in Apgujeong-dong and lived in a house owned by his brother-in-law Yoo, used the 300 million won returned to raise the rent to his brother-in-law, the landlord.



If the brother-in-law Yoo paid interest on the borrowed money to candidate Kwon at the actual interest rate, it is estimated that candidate Kwon earned more than 60 million won in interest income in 2019-2020 alone.



According to the Income Tax Act, 25% of national tax and 2.5% of local income tax are levied on non-business proceeds (interest income generated by individuals who do not engage in loan business). I had to pay taxes, but I hadn't paid in the meantime.



Candidate Kwon's side said, "Interest generated from bond transactions between private parties in 2019 and 2020 was deposited into the candidate's own account every month, and changes including interest income were faithfully reported when reporting public officials' property."



However, he said, "I first learned about the fact that the global income tax return was omitted in the process of preparing for the personnel hearing, and as soon as I recognized it, I paid more than 20 million won including penalty."



He also replied, "The tax on interest income accrued in 2021 has not yet been paid," he said, "I will pay it in May."



Candidate Kwon also lent 450 million won to his younger brother, Mo Kwon, at an annual interest rate of 5% in October 2017.



The principal and interest have not been repaid for nearly five years, and it has been confirmed that no interest tax has been incurred on the loaned money so far.



(Photo = Yonhap News)