Jaehwa Bernardo

Cha Eun-woo in a promotional photo for his EP 'Else.' Photo from Eun-woo's X account

Article (news)

Cha Eun-woo says taxes fully paid, apologizes anew

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775652585419Image.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Cha Eun-woo in a promotional photo for his EP &#x27;Else.&#x27;<em> Photo from Eun-woo&#x27;s X account</em></span></span></span></div><p>South Korean heartthrob Cha Eun-woo issued Wednesday another apology over his tax evasion controversy, assuring fans that he has fully paid all of his taxes.</p><p>The 29-year-old star addressed the matter on Instagram, breaking his silence nearly three months after <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/1/26/cha-eun-woo-speaks-up-on-tax-evasion-allegations-2030"><strong>his previous statement</strong></a> on the platform.</p><p>&quot;I sincerely apologize to my fans and everyone else for the disappointment and confusion caused by the recent tax-related controversy involving me,&quot; he wrote in the post&#x27;s caption in Korean, which was <a href="https://www.soompi.com/article/1831628wpp/cha-eun-woo-issues-personal-apology-over-tax-controversy-and-confirms-full-payment-of-taxes"><strong>translated </strong></a>to English by K-pop news website Soompi.</p><p>He explained that he only spoke up again about the controversy now &quot;as various administrative procedures were underway,&quot; which prompted him to be &quot;cautious in expressing my position.&quot;</p><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DW3nl_uEbGA/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=675&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A3549235.700000286%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="925" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>&quot;I respect the procedures and findings of the National Tax Service, and to prevent any further confusion, I have fully paid the related taxes. I will also diligently comply with any remaining procedures,&quot; he said.</p><p>Eun-woo — who boasts 47 million Instagram followers — said he takes full responsibility for what happened.</p><p>&quot;If there were aspects I failed to carefully review, the responsibility lies entirely with me. I will not avoid accountability by saying &#x27;I didn&#x27;t know&#x27; or that it was &#x27;someone else’s decision,&#x27;&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;During a period of various changes and uncertainties in my career, I established a corporation to help manage my activities more stably. However, looking back, there were areas I did not examine thoroughly enough, and I believe the responsibility lies not with my family or company, but with me,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/3/15/cha-eun-woo-always-happy-to-perform-for-filipino-fans-1648"><strong>READ: Cha Eun-woo ‘always happy’ to perform for Filipino fans<br/></strong></a></div><p>The National Tax Service earlier notified Eun-woo that he could owe more than 20 billion won (or about P800 million) in additional income tax following an intensive audit, according to reports.</p><p>The investigation reportedly centered on a company established by Eun-woo&#x27;s mother, which allegedly functioned as a shell company.</p><p>&quot;To ensure that such an issue does not happen again, I will apply stricter and more careful standards to all aspects of my activities moving forward,&quot; Eun-woo said.</p><p>&quot;I will continue striving and trying my best to become someone who takes full responsibility for my choices and actions,&quot; he added.</p><p>Born Lee Dong-min, Eun-woo first rose to fame as a member of the K-pop boy group Astro.</p><p>He gained further popularity through his acting career, landing lead roles in series such as &quot;My ID is Gangnam Beauty,&quot; &quot;True Beauty&quot; and &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/3/3/cha-eun-woo-on-rugged-rough-role-for-wonderful-world-1029"><strong>Wonderful World</strong></a>.&quot;</p><p>Eun-woo is also set to star in Netflix&#x27;s upcoming superhero comedy series &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/11/1/park-eun-bin-cha-eun-woo-to-star-in-netflix-s-the-wonderfools-912"><strong>The WONDERfools</strong></a>,&quot; alongside &quot;Extraordinary Attorney Woo&quot; actress Park Eun-bin.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ej740dZPYqs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>South Korean heartthrob Cha Eun-woo issued Wednesday another apology over his tax evasion controversy, assuring fans that he has fully paid all of his taxes.</p>

South Korean heartthrob Cha Eun-woo issued Wednesday another apology over his tax evasion controversy, assuring fans that he has fully paid all of his taxes.