Cha Eun Woo Issues Personal Apology Amid Tax Evasion Allegations

For the first time, South Korean actor-idol Cha Eun Woo officially addressed news of his tax evasion case.

On January 26, 2026, Eun Woo personally released a statement via Instagram. He shared a black photo accompanied by a caption containing his full statement on the matter.

"I sincerely bow my head and apologize for causing concern and disappointment to many people due to various recent matters involving myself," his statement began. The post came just days after the news of his alleged tax evasion came to light.

He furthered, "Taking this incident as an opportunity, I have deeply reflected on whether my attitude toward my duty as a citizen of the Republic of Korea, particularly regarding tax payments, was sufficiently rigorous."

The Korean celebrity expressed his regret for not being able to complete the tax investigation before his military enlistment. However, he assured the public that his enlistment was in no way an excuse to avoid the country's tax process.

"Currently, I am serving in the military, but this was by no means an intentional choice to avoid this controversy. Last year, I was in a situation where I could no longer postpone my military enlistment, and thus I enlisted without being able to complete the tax investigation procedures," he wrote in his post.

Cha Eun Woo recognized the support and effort of his fans for being able to create a name in the industry. With that, he extended his deepest apologies for causing disappointment to his supporters because of his tax evasion case.

"For the long period of the past 11 years, despite having more shortcomings than possessions, I was able to be in this undeserved position as 'Cha Eun Woo' thanks to your unreserved love and support," he said.

At the end of his lengthy statement, Cha Eun Woo vowed to fully cooperate with the government's investigation into his taxes and to accept whatever decision may be reached.

He declared, "I will faithfully participate in the tax-related procedures that will proceed in the future. Furthermore, I will humbly accept the final decision made by the relevant authorities and take full responsibility accordingly."

On January 22, South Korean media went into a frenzy after a news outlet reported that Cha Eun Woo had been investigated in 2025 by Investigation Bureau 4 of the Seoul Regional Tax Office for alleged tax evasion.

Within the same report, the National Tax Service of South Korea questioned the nature of Cha Eun Woo's income and notified him of an additional tax assessment of more than 20 billion Korean won (approximately P818 million) before he entered the military for his mandatory enlistment.

The report claimed that while the South Korean celebrity is managed by his agency Fantagio, he is also allegedly connected to a separate family-run "paper company" established by his mother. The company was reportedly used to reduce his tax burden by splitting income among Fantagio, the alleged company, and Eun Woo himself.

Immediately after the news broke, Fantagio released a statement assuring that Cha Eun Woo would fully cooperate in the legal matter involving his taxes and assets—all while completing his military service. He is expected to finish his enlistment on January 27, 2027.

Fantagio's statement read, as translated by Soompi, "The key issue in this matter is whether the corporation established by Cha Eun Woo's mother falls under the category of an entity subject to substantive taxation. Nothing has been finally confirmed or officially notified at this time, and we plan to actively clarify the matter in accordance with lawful procedures. In order for the process to be concluded as swiftly as possible, the artist and his tax representative will cooperate diligently. We assure you that Cha Eun Woo will continue, as a citizen of this country, to faithfully fulfill tax filings and his legal obligations."