*This content was translated by AI.
The aftermath of the "20 billion tax evasion suspicion" surrounding Cha Eun-woo, a member of the group Astro and actor, continues. Following the advertising industry, the Ministry of National Defense is also moving to quit.
On the 27th, the YouTube channel "KFN Plus," run by the National Defense Information Service, closed the video of "The Story of the Army That Day" starring Cha Eun-woo.
Cha Eun-woo joined the army in July last year and is serving in a military band of the Defense Ministry's support group. In the same year, he became a hot topic when he hosted a welcoming dinner for the "2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit."
He, who showed active activities as a soldier, took over the storyteller baton of the "Military Story of the Day" series starring group NCT member Taeyong and actor Song Kang to tell the story. However, the Ministry of National Defense seems to have taken the video private due to suspicions of tax evasion worth 20 billion won.
Prior to the Ministry of National Defense, Cha Eun-woo's face was also removed from the advertising industry such as finance, beauty, fashion, and education. However, as the controversy continued, it was confirmed that the Ministry of National Defense is considering Cha Eun-woo's re-election.
A netizen filed a complaint with the National Newspaper asking for a review of Cha Eun-woo's position in a military band. In response, the Ministry of National Defense accepted the request and said, "We have designated the processing department as the inspection office of the unit to which we belong," adding, "It will be taken after judging the facts and the necessity."
In addition, the Ministry of National Defense said, "The right to appoint soldiers serving in the military band of the work support group is under the authority of the commander, and the human resources department will first review the work." We will comply with the procedures within the unit and proceed quickly, but we will proceed without defects," he said.
Cha Eun-woo reportedly received a high-intensity tax audit from the Seoul Regional Tax Office in the first half of last year and was notified of a tax collection worth 20 billion won. The National Tax Service believes that Cha Eun-woo's agency Fantagio signed a management service contract with a corporation established by Cha Eun-woo's mother to be subject to a lower corporate tax rate than the personal income tax rate of up to 45%.
In response, the agency Fantagio said, "The main issue is whether the corporation established by Cha Eun-woo's mother is subject to real taxation," adding, "It is not currently finalized and announced, and we will actively explain issues related to legal interpretation and application in accordance with due process."
Cha Eun-woo also said, "With this incident, I am deeply reflecting on myself whether my attitude toward tax obligations as a citizen of the Republic of Korea was strict enough," adding, "I will humbly accept the results according to the final judgment and fulfill my responsibilities accordingly."
It is known that Cha Eun-woo is currently starting a pre-lease response to one of the three major law firms in Korea. Cha Eun-woo is accused of tax evasion as the highest celebrity of all time, causing a strong backlash.
Fantagio, the agency, renewed its position on the 27th and said, "We feel a heavy responsibility for the controversy over issues related to our company and our artists," adding, "The current issue is being fact-finding in accordance with the tax authorities' procedures, and the agency and artists are faithfully investigating within the scope of their respective needs. "If legal and administrative judgments become clear in the future, we will take necessary measures responsibly according to the results," he said.
"Please refrain from indiscriminate speculation, the spread of unconfirmed information, and excessive interpretation of allegations and suspicions raised by some people," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
