Cha Eun-woo to hold Japan exhibition amid tax evasion allegations
Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo / Courtesy of Fantagio
Singer-actor Cha Eun-woo is pushing ahead with a photo exhibition in Japan while facing tax evasion allegations involving roughly 20 billion won ($13.4 million) in South Korea.
Fantagio, Cha's agency, said Monday that the exhibition will run from April 28 to May 12 in the Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo. Cha will not attend the event in person.
A poster for actor Cha Eun-woo's exhibition in Japan / Courtesy of Afterimage
"The exhibition was contracted in August 2024 and is proceeding as scheduled," a Fantagio official said.
The Japanese exhibition marks Cha's first official commercial event since the controversy began. The exhibition will feature a photobook released last year and photographs of his daily life.
The National Tax Service assessed an estimated 20 billion won tax penalty against Cha in January. If confirmed, it would be the largest tax penalty ever levied on a Korean celebrity.
Tax authorities determined that Cha established a shell company to receive his earnings from Fantagio. Authorities said the arrangement allowed Cha to pay a corporate tax rate rather than paying income tax on his earnings directly.
Cha enlisted in the Army in July last year and is currently serving in a military band. As public backlash grew, Cha posted an apology on social media.
"I am deeply reflecting while looking back on whether my attitude toward the duty of paying taxes as a citizen of the Republic of Korea was strict," Cha said. "I will humbly accept the final judgment made by the relevant authorities and take full responsibility in accordance with the outcome."
Despite the public apology, Cha has appealed the tax agency's assessment.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.