League of Legends: Gen.G star ADC player Ruler fined and ordered to perform community service over tax evasion scandal..

The Korea eSports Association (KeSPA) announced on its official website on Saturday that it has decided to fine Gen.G's star ADC player Park Hyuk-jae (ID: Ruler), who was previously embroiled in a tax evasion scandal, 2 million won and order him to perform 40 hours of community service.

According to the official statement from KeSPA, the organization's ethics and disciplinary committee decided to hold a seminar after receiving relevant reports to re-examine the consequences and reputational damage that Ruler's scandal has caused to the eSports industry.

Based on Ruler's direct testimony at the hearing and the case-related materials he submitted, the committee ultimately decided to invoke Article 33, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the KeSPA Regulations, deeming it "a case that seriously damages the dignity of members of the esports community," and decided to fine the player 2 million won and order him to perform 40 hours of community service.

The statement added that the committee acknowledged Ruler had paid all taxes assessed by the tax authorities and returned the shares held through a trust, but also emphasized his exceptional sense of social responsibility.

The statement further noted that Ruler, a silver medalist at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and a gold medalist at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, is "one of the leading figures in Korean esports, whose social influence extends beyond his club or any particular league."

On the other hand, according to a follow-up report by Sheep Esports, although LCK confirmed in May that Ruler would not be sanctioned, KeSPA does possess independent review and sanctioning authority, differing from LCK's.

At the time, LCK stated that it had conducted an independent investigation into Ruler, which showed that the player did not violate any league rules. 

Furthermore, all investigations into the tax-related allegations against him have been completed, and the disciplinary committee has agreed that the statute of limitations for invoking any disciplinary action against Ruler has expired.

Based on these two points, the LCK disciplinary committee believes that Ruler's actions did not damage the league's reputation or constitute any unethical conduct, and therefore agreed not to impose sanctions on him.

In early April 2026, this renowned Korean League of Legends star player was accused of tax evasion and subsequently apologized to the public through his social media accounts.

At the time, he reiterated that he had never evaded taxes, but rather that his father had engaged in improper conduct in managing his assets.

He stated that the mismanagement occurred three years ago. At that time, because he wasn't affiliated with any brokerage firm, he entrusted his father, who had resigned in 2018 to act as his planner, to manage his taxes and assets.

Ruler gave his father the funds he had used to pay his personal income tax. Knowing that obtaining certifications was difficult and wouldn't interfere with the athlete's competition schedule, his father, for ease of management, invested in stocks in an account under his father's name.

Although he applied for reimbursement for the event's service fees as necessary expenses, the IRS did not recognize it. The authorities determined the above actions constituted a gift within a "nominal trust."

IRS officials stated that during the period when Ruler didn't have a broker, his father handled substantive brokerage work for the event, including scheduling, legal matters, insurance, and applications for military service deferrals. However, due to tax restrictions that make it difficult to recognize family assistance as objective business, the expense processing was denied.

Officials also clearly determined that "dividend income" is treated as withholding tax on behalf of the shareholder, therefore, "dividend income" cannot be changed to be declared under the name of player "Park Hyuk-jae (ID: Ruler)".

Although the result was regrettable, he and his father ultimately respected the National Tax Service's decision and have already paid all the gift tax.

Finally, the player, who achieved numerous accolades with Gen.G, reiterated that his actions were not an attempt to evade taxes. He has always adhered to the responsibility of citizens to honestly declare their personal asset management and tax payments.

He will take full responsibility for the controversy that has arisen, handle his asset management and tax matters in a more cautious and transparent manner, and fully cooperate with the independent investigation launched by the LCK.

Image source: Internet / Sheep Esports / Riot Games