CJ Foodville Corp., Korea’s largest restaurant franchise, is undergoing a tax investigation, according to a news report.

Yonhap News quoted an unnamed industry source as saying that the National Tax Service started the intense probe a month ago. But company officials reportedly claimed the probe was part of a regular audit by the NTS.

The tax investigation came at a time when its parent CJ Group is under investigation from the prosecution on charges of creating slush funds and other wrongdoings.

But the NTS refused to confirm the report of the tax probe into the giant restaurant chain.

(joowonc@heraldcorp.com)