An on site inspection was conducted on January 26 by Ganghwa County officials regarding a limited liability company associated with ASTRO member Cha Eun Woo, which had been registered at the address of an eel restaurant in Ganghwa operated by his mother. However, it was later confirmed that the company completed an address change on the very same day and has since left the Ganghwa jurisdiction.
The date also marked the first time Cha Eun Woo, currently serving in the military, spoke publicly after the controversy surfaced. A Ganghwa County official told Ilgan Sports on January 28, “After the controversy surrounding Cha Eun Woo arose, we conducted an on site inspection of the corporation registered in Ganghwa as a public culture and arts planning business under his name. However, there was no office, furniture, or any facilities necessary to carry out business operations.”
The eel restaurant that had been listed as the address of Cha Eun Woo’s limited liability company opened in 2020 under his mother’s name and operated for about five years. After Cha Eun Woo enlisted in July of last year, the restaurant entered remodeling and is currently not in operation. The remodeling work is also reportedly suspended at this time. The official added, “Not only was there no office equipment, but we also could not confirm any facilities required for office work, making it difficult to view the space as being used as an office.”
Coincidentally, the corporation moved out of Ganghwa on the same day. A Ganghwa County Office representative stated, “On the day the on site inspection took place, an application was submitted to change the address of Cha Eun Woo’s limited liability company to the Gangnam District Office, and the relocation was processed that same day.”
Contrary to some reports claiming that the company registered at the eel restaurant address was not licensed as a public culture and arts planning business, officials confirmed that it was in fact registered under that category. “We carried out the inspection because the corporation was registered as a public culture and arts planning business,” an official said. According to Ilgan Sports, Cha Eun Woo is associated with two limited liability companies. The one registered at the eel restaurant address was listed as a public culture and arts planning business, while another corporation reportedly was not registered under that category.
Previously, Cha Eun Woo was investigated by the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Investigation Bureau 4 on allegations of tax evasion, and the National Tax Service has reportedly notified him of an additional tax assessment exceeding 20 billion KRW (approximately 13.8 million USD).
Regarding the matter, his agency Fantagio released an official statement on January 22, saying, “The key issue in this case is whether a corporation established by Cha Eun Woo’s mother qualifies as a substantive taxation entity. This is not a matter that has been finalized or officially notified, and we plan to actively clarify issues related to legal interpretation and application through due process.”
Cha Eun Woo later addressed the issue on January 26 through his social media, stating, “I sincerely bow my head in apology for causing concern and disappointment to many people due to various matters related to me recently,” adding, “Through this incident, I am reflecting deeply on whether I have been sufficiently strict in my attitude toward fulfilling my duty to pay taxes as a citizen of the Republic of Korea.”
Fantagio issued another statement on January 27, saying, “The issues currently raised are in the stage of fact finding according to the procedures of the tax authorities, and both the agency and the artist are cooperating faithfully within the necessary scope of the investigation. Once legal and administrative judgments become clear, we will responsibly carry out any required measures in accordance with the results.”
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