SEOUL, KOREA - Of the total 101,050 high-income professionals in nine categories including lawyer, accountant, tax accountant, customs agent, architect, patent attorney, judicial scrivener, public appraiser, and medical doctor, as much as 10,337, or 10.2 percent, reported that their annual income last year was below 24 million won (US$23,000).

 

Congressman Park Dukhyum (New Frontier Party) said this on September 17 based on data submitted by the National Tax Service. The average annual sales revenue for these professionals was 267 million won ($258,000).

 

In the category of architect, as many as 24.8 percent, or 2,365 out of 9,557, reported that their annual income was less than 24 million won. The ratio for public appraisers was 17.6 percent, followed by judicial scriveners (12.6%), accountants (9.2%), patent attorneys (8.7%), medical doctors (7.9%), customs agent (7.6%), and tax accountants (7.5%). Earlier in 2012, the share of those reporting an annual income below the 24 million won line was 9.1 percent, or 9,095.

 

National Assemblyman Park said, "It is true the number of professionals has risen and thus competition among them has become fiercer. But there is a possibility that some of the alledged low-income professionals underreported their income. The tax authorities must investigate strictly whether the professionals' reporting was honest."