Dok2 Tax Evasion, Lee Hi Unregistered Agency: Celebrity Couple’s Imperfect Love

Following the announcement of a romantic relationship between rapper Dok2 and singer Lee Hi, past controversies surrounding the two artists have resurfaced, drawing renewed attention.

On the 28th, news of Dok2 and Lee Hi’s relationship spread online, leading many to question whether past issues involving the two had been resolved.

Dok2 has previously been embroiled in several controversies, including allegations of tax evasion, his mother’s debt issues, and a lawsuit involving unpaid jewelry bills with an American jewelry company. He was listed as a high-amount delinquent taxpayer in 2022 for owing over 10 million won in health insurance premiums and 300 million won in comprehensive income tax.

In 2019, he was also sued for failing to pay approximately 40 million won for jewelry. Back in 2018, during his mother’s debt controversy, Dok2 faced significant criticism for stating, “10 million won is my meal cost.”

Dok2, who had promoted himself with an image of “self-made wealth” flaunting supercars and luxury goods since his debut, faced public embarrassment when these financial controversies erupted. He had previously showcased his wealth and luxurious hotel residence on television, revealing that the room rate was approximately 7 million won per day, and he spent 200 million won per month on rent.

Dok2 boasted owning more than seven supercars, including a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, BMW i8, and Ferrari, totaling over 2 billion won in car value alone. In 2016, Dok2’s annual copyright royalties were reported to be 1 billion won, with an annual income of 5 billion won.

Following the controversies, Dok2 left South Korea and established a new company, “808 Hi Recordings,” in Los Angeles, USA. It has recently been reported that Dok2 has fully paid his delinquent taxes, amounting to 672 million won.

Lee Hi faced scrutiny in January when it was revealed that she had been operating a one-person agency unregistered for over five years. At the time, her agency, AOMG, stated, “As Lee Hi has been active under an exclusive contract with our company, we were unaware that a separate popular culture and arts planning business registration was required for her personal corporation.” They added, “This occurred due to the ignorance and oversight of both the company and the artist, and we will thoroughly review relevant regulations.”

On June 6th, after her exclusive contract with AOMG ended, Lee Hi announced the establishment of a joint label with Dok2, ‘808 Hi Recordings.’

On the 28th, Dispatch reported that Dok2 and Lee Hi have been dating for five years. The two reportedly met through MBC’s ‘Infinite Challenge’ in 2016, and after working together, they developed into a romantic relationship.

On the same day, both artists acknowledged their relationship by posting photos and videos taken together on their respective Instagram accounts. Dok2 and Lee Hi also released a duet song titled “You & Me,” featuring loving lyrics, on the same day.

Lee Hi wrote, “Happy birthday to my one and only DOK2 and 808HI,” referring to Dok2 as “MY MAN.” Dok2 responded to the post with a comment saying “So much love” and a heart emoticon. Dok2 also referred to Lee Hi as “MY LADY” on his own Instagram account.