"Cha Eun-Woo's 'Eel Restaurant' family company, '3 soccer fields the size of' real estate shopping" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Cha Eun-woo, a member of the group Astro and an actor, was at the center of the topic when he was found to have purchased a large amount of real estate following allegations of tax evasion worth 20 billion won as a single-person agency of the "family corporation."

MBC's current affairs program "Exploration Planning Straight" (hereinafter referred to as "Straight") aired on the 8th dealt with celebrities who are abusing one-man agencies, saying, "One-man agencies, or are you stupid if you don't?" The production team tracked down and dug up the empty entertainment agencies.

In particular, Cha Eun-woo received a high-intensity tax audit from the Seoul Regional Tax Office last year and was notified of a 20 billion won fine for evading taxes through a single-person agency. This is a celebrity tax evasion penalty, the largest ever.

Moreover, Cha Eun-woo registered the address of an eel restaurant in Ganghwa-do, Incheon as the headquarters of his one-person agency, adding to the controversy. It turned out that this was a restaurant run by Cha Eun-woo's family. "It was just a restaurant, and there was no sign of an entertainment management agency anywhere," Straight said.

Cha Eun-woo's mother is the CEO of a single agency, while Cha Eun-woo and his younger brother are listed as in-house directors, and Cha Eun-woo's father is listed as auditor. It's a typical family corporation.

Founded in 2019 by these families, Chas Gallery changed its corporate name to DANI in September 2024 and changed its form to a limited liability company. Unlike a stock company, a limited liability company has no external disclosure or audit obligation. It is difficult to confirm whether another real estate investment has been made and whether the cost has been handled properly.

The production team of "Straight" said, "Cha Eun-woo's single-person company bought buildings and land, including eel restaurants, and nearby forests in July 2020," adding, "With a total area of 15,000 square meters and about 4,500 pyeong, the purchase amount was 1.75 billion won, of which 800 million won was a loan received under the name of the corporation. The corporation also purchased land right in front of the restaurant in February last year for 1.1 billion won under the name of the corporation, the report said.

He then pointed out, "I bought real estate as large as three football fields, but it is unclear what kind of activities I did as an entertainment agency."

Cha Eun-woo's agency Fantagio told "Straight," "Cha Eun-woo's mother has been carrying out management tasks to support entertainment activities. Based on the evidence supporting this, we are in the process of receiving a legitimate judgment," he said.

Meanwhile, Cha Eun-woo joined the Army's military band in July last year. The scheduled discharge date is January 2027.

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*This content was translated by AI.