Jang Geun-suk drops out of TV show after tax evasion report

Jang Geun-suk is leaving tvN’s popular reality program “Three Meals a Day,” a day after it was revealed that he was caught evading taxes amounting to nearly 10 billion won ($9.27 million).

TvN announced Jang’s departure late Thursday, adding that the actor had decided to drop out.

“The time is not right,” the press release said, “for Jang to appear in the show, considering public sentiment.” 

The channel will edit out pre-filmed scenes starring the actor. The show’s premiere, originally slated for Friday, has been postponed to Jan. 23.

A local newspaper reported Wednesday that Jang was slapped with fines of over 10 billion won after he failed to fully report his income to tax authorities.

Jang, known for his roles in KBS’ “Pretty Man” and MBC’s “Beethoven Virus,” said through his management agency that the omissions had occurred due to accounting errors and that all relevant fines had been paid already.

“Three Meals a Day” is an outdoor reality show where members must cook up daily meals from the ingredients they find in the wild. Jang was to star in its spin-off, “Fishing Village,” alongside actors Cha Seung-won and Yu Hae-jin.

By Rumy Doo (bigbird@heraldcorp.com)