"Not like the late Lee Sun-kyun" Taxpayers Federation accuses Cha Eun-woo of leaking tax information [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Amid allegations of tax evasion after singer-actress Cha Eun-woo was recently notified of tax collection worth 20 billion won, the civic group Korea Taxpayers Federation filed a complaint with the police against a tax official who leaked related information and a reporter who first reported it.

The Korea Taxpayer Federation (Chairman Kim Seon-ho) said it filed a complaint with the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters against an unnamed tax official who leaked the information and a reporter who first reported it in connection with the leak of Cha Eun-woo's tax information to the media at 11 a.m. on the 10th.

The Korea Taxpayer Federation is a civic group established in 2001 to protect taxpayers' rights and interests. In the complaint, the Federation pointed out that Article 81-13 (Keeping Secrets) of the Framework Act on National Taxes strictly prohibits tax officials from providing, leaking, and using tax information for other purposes to protect taxpayers' rights.

Article 71 of the Personal Information Protection Act also stipulates that a person who leaks or provides personal information he/she knows about his/her situation will be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to 50 million won for profit or illegal purposes, and Article 127 of the Criminal Act also requires a public official to be criminally punished for leaking confidential information.

"The defendants violated the principle of confidentiality and taxpayers' rights guaranteed by the Framework Act on National Taxes by leaking specific tax information related to Cha Eun-woo's tax investigation without permission," the federation said. "Since the details of the additional collection and investigation are information that only tax officials such as investigation officials or managers of the payment line cannot know, the case is highly likely to leak internal tax information."

He then asked for a thorough investigation, saying, "This information leakage is a serious issue that can cause damage that is difficult to recover for the parties."

"It is not to defend or defend a specific person, but to establish social trust that 'tax information is protected in any case,'" the federation said in response to the accusation. "The protection of tax information is the basis of the tax system and a key factor in supporting the community."

He also added, "As in the case of the late Lee Sun-kyun in the past, unconfirmed investigation and investigation information should not be disclosed and individual honor and human rights should not be damaged to an irreparable level."

"As a Korean citizen and taxpayer, Cha Eun-woo should also apply the same principles of taxpayer rights and presumption of innocence under the Constitution," said lawyer Lee Kyung-hwan, who represented the accusation. "The law should be enforced equally regardless of whether he is a celebrity or not, and it is not desirable for taxation information to be leaked and socially branded just because he is famous."

"The National Tax Service is an institution that has very sensitive personal information, including tax audit information, such as people's income, property, medical expenditure, donation expenditure, and credit card usage," said Kim Seon-taek, president of the Federation. "The National Tax Service should actively cooperate with this investigation to restore public trust in protecting tax information," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Tax Service recently decided that Cha Eun-woo evaded income tax using a corporation in his mother's name, and notified him of an additional 20 billion won. In particular, the controversy was intensified as the address of the corporation was known to be the same as the eel restaurant located in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, where his mother operated.

Cha Eun-woo, who is currently serving in a military band, said on his SNS, "With this incident, I am reflecting on myself and deeply reflecting on whether my attitude toward tax obligations as a citizen of the Republic of Korea was strict enough." In addition, we will humbly accept the results according to the final judgment made by the relevant agency and fulfill our responsibilities accordingly.

"The current issue is being investigated faithfully by the tax authorities' procedures, and the agency and artists are investigating faithfully within the scope of their respective needs," the agency Fantagio said. "If legal and administrative judgments become clear in the future, we will take necessary measures responsibly according to the results."

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*This content was translated by AI.