Lee Ji-hye clears air on missing license plate, shrugs off tax allegations

Broadcaster Lee Ji-hye has explained the full story behind the recent disappearance of a license plate from her vehicle and shrugged off a range of allegations that had circulated online.

On Saturday, Lee took to SNS to address the speculation directly. "It was neither theft nor a tax issue," she wrote, pushing back against rumors that had gained traction in recent days.

The incident began when Lee discovered her front license plate was missing after dropping her daughter off at kindergarten. She filed a loss report with police and went through the reissuance process at the district office, receiving a new plate within five hours.

Tips from members of the public then emerged online, reporting that a license plate had been spotted on a roadside near Miseong Apartments and Sinsa Middle School. Lee went to the scene and recovered her original plate, which had simply come loose and fallen off.

Lee thanked those who had tipped her off and added a note of caution: "I've heard that the front license plates on some models of [the vehicle] can come loose, so I'd encourage owners to check theirs."

Meanwhile, Lee married tax accountant Moon Jae-wan in 2017 and has two daughters. She remains active across YouTube and television.