Why ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo Hasn’t Settled His Tax Evasion Payment Yet

Cha Eunwoo is facing controversy over tax evasion after paying ₩13.0 billion KRW (about $8.79 million USD).

The controversy began when Cha Eunwoo bowed his head and apologized for tax issues. On March 8th, he posted on social media:

“I respect the procedures and results of the National Tax Service and have paid all related taxes to prevent further confusion. I will also earnestly comply with the remaining procedures.”

Cha Eunwoo admitted responsibility for problems related to his corporation setup:

“If there were parts I did not sufficiently review, that responsibility lies entirely with me. I will not evade by saying I ‘didn’t know’ or that it was ‘someone else’s judgment’ for any reason.”

Fans and critics questioned why he paid so late and accused him of dragging things out. Some comments included:

“If you were going to pay anyway, why did you delay and hold out with a power struggle until now?”
“Why did you evade responsibility and drag things out?”
“Did you pay reluctantly after failing to find a way out?”

However, OSEN’s investigation on March 9th clarified that Cha Eunwoo couldn’t pay earlier because the tax system requires a tax notice before payment. The ₩13.0 billion KRW was only paid after receiving the notice. The previously reported ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.5 million USD) was an estimate, not a confirmed amount.

The tax review process is about accepting or rejecting assessments, not a simple win-or-lose. Until acceptance results come, the tax amount isn’t finalized. Cha Eunwoo only recently received the final notice and paid it immediately. There was no intentional delay.

Cha Eunwoo’s agency Fantagio released a statement emphasizing this:

“A portion of the payment amount is expected to be adjusted through the National Tax Service’s refund procedure, and based on guidance from accountants, the actual burden is estimated to be about ₩13.0 billion KRW (about $8.79 million USD).”

“As personal income tax has been fully paid, there is a refund process underway for the overlapping taxes previously paid, including corporate tax and value-added tax.”

Cha Eunwoo’s side apologized again and stressed there was no effort to avoid paying. The timing and payment process explain why it took until now to settle the amount.

Many other celebrities face tax scrutiny, but Cha Eunwoo’s case hit the media unusually early in the review process. This caused confusion as the estimate was mistaken for a confirmed sum.

Cha Eunwoo’s prompt payment after the tax notice aims to clear the air. The saga continues to draw attention.