Introduction: The S16 season competition has officially begun, and it is believed that most players have been following the recent offseason period. In the past two days, there has been a lot of news from the LCK region. Recently, Gen.G's AD player Ruler was exposed for serious tax evasion issues, and his series of appeals have been rejected. If handled strictly, he could potentially face a lifetime ban. The agency officially gave a direct response, confirming that tax evasion did occur and that all outstanding taxes have been repaid. The authorities originally intended to investigate Gen.G's match-fixing issues, but instead, tax problems were exposed. Ruler was somewhat caught unintentionally. If the circumstances are severe, he might indeed be banned for life.

Ruler exposed for serious tax evasion

It is believed that most players are quite familiar with Gen.G. As a top-tier team in the LCK region, their overall performance over recent years has been outstanding, essentially dominating the entire LCK. It was expected that in this global championship competition, Gen.G would stand out alone, given their remarkable performance throughout the season, with no team able to withstand their pressure. However, in the semifinals, they were swept 3-0 by G2, and their match condition was even worse than BFX. After returning to the LCK region, the authorities began investigating Gen.G for match-fixing, with no results yet; it might simply be due to a mental breakdown.

It was thought that this investigation had concluded, but recently, Korean websites exposed AD player Ruler's tax issues, which should be unrelated to the previous investigation. In 2024, Ruler filed a request for review with the tax authorities, but it was rejected. According to Korean law, if one disagrees with levied taxes, objections can be raised. If the request is rejected, administrative litigation can be pursued. From the Korean爆料, the tax issue seems to involve exploiting loopholes for tax avoidance, which was discovered by authorities. If the circumstances are severe, a lifetime ban could be imposed.

First issue: Ruler recorded payments to his father as management fees, counting them as necessary operational costs, but lacked evidence that his father actually performed managerial duties, as the team handled most management and operations. This management fee bypassed tax authorities' recognition, requiring tax repayment. Second issue: Ruler invested in purchasing stocks but registered them under his father's name, with his father holding shares under borrowed names. This was deemed a nominal trust with evasion intent, resulting in tax reduction effects, and should be treated as a gift subject to gift tax. Currently, the tax authorities have confirmed the underpayment, requiring repayment, but criminal charges for tax evasion have not been established.

Ruler's agency also gave a very direct response: the funds involved are personal assets, and income tax has been duly paid. The nominal trust arising from his father managing assets was not intentional tax evasion; related taxes have been fully paid, and assets have been transferred back to the player. Simply put, Ruler urgently repaid all taxes, likely not admitting guilt but fearing consequences, as further evasion could lead to a lifetime ban. Recently, the LPL region's IG team has also gained high attention, even changing its captain. Although Rookie appears on the team roster, a note below states Meiko temporarily serves as captain for the second stage, indicating Rookie's playing time remains uncertain.

Final thoughts

Although Ruler's agency gave the most direct response, claiming it was unintentional, the fact of tax evasion seems confirmed, and all outstanding taxes have been repaid. Currently, no severe penalties have been imposed, but if officially determined, a lifetime ban might indeed occur, given LCK's strict penalties for such matters. For such a top-tier professional player, having a stain now means even if he can continue competing, his chance for the Asian Games名额 is likely lost.

What do you think about this matter?