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Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hun has denied he deliberately evaded taxes of W20 million in 2005 when he was a lawyer, saying he has managed his money ¡°like a Christian¡± and never deceived people. He is suspected of failing to declare W50 million in income but says the omission was a simple mistake by a tax accountant.
The revelation is an embarrassment for the chief justice, who vowed last year that he would step down if he was found to have dodged even a single won in taxes. But after the tax evasion hit the headlines, Lee hinted that he doesn¡¯t intend to leave office, saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made the comment if I¡¯d known about the mistake at that time.¡± He added, ¡°I never imagined that my tax accountant could omit some of my income. I thought the remainder of my income after paying tax and tithes was my due share.¡±
However, the conservative group Lawyers for Citizens on Thursday urged Lee to take responsibility as the head of the judiciary. The Korean Bar Association said a clear explanation is necessary since it remains unclear whether the tax evasion was deliberate or a mistake. If it was deliberate, it said the chief justice as a leading national figure has to keep his word. Some legal insiders said mistakes can happen, but others said it is common practice among lawyers to evade tax. Whatever the truth of the matter, the affair is damaging the chief justice¡¯s credibility. Lee has stressed that the independence of the judiciary cannot be guaranteed if judges are dishonest.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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