Cha Eun-woo, the singer and actor from the group ASTRO, has found himself embroiled in a tax evasion controversy that is making headlines not just in South Korea, but around the world.

The Seoul Regional Tax Office conducted a thorough investigation into Cha Eun-woo last year, resulting in a tax penalty of roughly 20 billion KRW (approximately 15 million USD). As news of the case broke on January 22, netizens circulated a ranking post online listing global celebrities by the size of their alleged tax evasion cases.

Should the tax penalty of 20 billion KRW be formally confirmed, Cha Eun-woo would bear the dubious distinction of holding the largest confirmed case in the Korean entertainment industry. Notably, the scale of the scandal places him among the largest in the world.

According to the widely shared rankings, the top figures in alleged tax evasion cases are led by Fan Bingbing (about 144 billion KRW), Zheng Shuang (about 56 billion KRW), footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (about 28 billion KRW), Willie Nelson (about 22 billion KRW), and Shakira (about 21 billion KRW), with Cha Eun-woo coming in sixth.

According to an exclusive by Edaily on January 22, the tax authorities have reason to believe Cha Eun-woo’s mother, identified as Ms. A, established Corporation B as a “paper company.” The authorities allege that Cha Eun-woo’s side sought to avoid higher personal income taxes by creating B, receiving a corporate tax rate more than 20 percentage points lower, potentially lowering the total liability by 45%.

In response, Fantagio, Cha Eun-woo’s management agency, released an official statement: “The central issue revolves around whether the corporation established by Cha Eun-woo’s mother qualifies as a legitimate subject of taxation. The case has not yet been finalized or fully notified, and we plan to actively clarify the relevant legal interpretations through official channels.”

Cha Eun-woo, who ranked ninth in King Choice’s global poll “The 100 Most Handsome Men in the World 2022,” has long been celebrated as Korea’s top heartthrob. Now, his reputation faces a different spotlight as he is ranked sixth in the world for the scale of alleged celebrity tax evasion.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Cha Eun-woo