Through JTBC’s ‘Meokja GO’, the eel restaurant run by Cha Eun-woo’s parents was introduced as ‘Cha Eun-woo’s regular spot’. Broadcast screen capture

As Cha Eun-woo of the group Astro is embroiled in tax evasion allegations in the 20 billion won range, attention is focusing on the fact that the eel restaurant run by his parents, at the center of the issue, was promoted in the past through variety shows and the like.

Last spring, Cha Eun-woo was investigated on tax evasion charges by the Soja-4 Bureau of the Seoul Regional National Tax Service and was notified of an additional tax assessment exceeding 20 billion won. It is an unprecedentedly large assessment levied on an entertainer.

The National Tax Service viewed that Cha Eun-woo’s mother, Ms. Choi, set up Company A to split income so as to benefit from a corporate tax rate more than 20 percentage points lower than the income tax rate. It determined that Company A was a ‘paper company’, as its registered address was at a certain location in Ganghwa-do and it did not provide substantive services.

Singer-actor Cha Eun-woo. Provided by Fantagio

Cha Eun-woo’s side maintains that Company A is a formally registered business in popular culture and arts planning established to support his management work, and after receiving the assessment notice requested a pre-assessment review to examine the appropriateness of the NTS decision.

Accordingly, attention has focused on Company A, the core point of contention over whether tax evasion occurred. In particular, it is known that its registered address is the eel restaurant run by Cha Eun-woo’s parents, amplifying the suspicions. The eel restaurant was in Bulon-myeon, Ganghwa-do until last August, and later moved to Seoul’s Gangnam and changed from a stock company to a limited liability company.

Cha Eun-woo is currently serving in the military, and his agency Fantagio stated, “We will actively clarify matters in accordance with procedure.” There was no specific explanation regarding the suspicions about the address change, change in corporate form, and so on.

The eel restaurant run by Cha Eun-woo’s parents shared a proof shot of his visit (left) and used it for promotion. Cha Eun-woo’s Instagram, OOO Charcoal-Grilled Eel Instagram account

Meanwhile, as past promotions introducing the eel restaurant as Cha Eun-woo’s regular favorite through social networking services (SNS) and the like have resurfaced, the backlash has intensified.

In 2022, Cha Eun-woo posted a proof shot of visiting the restaurant on his own social media. The restaurant shared it, writing, ‘Face genius Cha Eun-woo visited OOO Charcoal-Grilled Eel yesterday. He enjoyed the eel and even posted himself. It’s no secret he comes often,’ and added hashtags such as ‘Cha Eun-woo hotspot’ and ‘Cha Eun-woo pilgrimage’ for promotion.

In an interview, Cha Eun-woo also remarked, “There is a place in my father’s hometown that my family and I have been going to for a long time,” making it sound like a ‘regular restaurant’ without disclosing that his parents run it. Later, as actual visitors revealed that it is operated by his parents, controversy erupted over ‘deceptive promotion’.

Actor Cha Eun-woo. Yonhap News

On JTBC’s ‘Meokja GO’ aired in November of the same year, the restaurant was even heavily introduced as ‘Cha Eun-woo’s regular favorite with annual sales reaching 1 billion won’.

It is also controversial that in October last year Cha Eun-woo served as emcee for the official welcome dinner at the APEC summit held in Gyeongju.

According to the National Tax Service, at his side’s request it waited until his enlistment was completed in July last year before sending the notice of the audit results. This means Cha Eun-woo accepted the presidential office’s request to host while aware of the tax-evasion issue under NTS investigation, which the public also criticized as a deceptive act.

Cha Eun-woo enlisted in July last year and is serving in the Army band; his scheduled discharge date is January 27, 2027.