As news spread that singer and actor Cha Eun Woo had been notified of a tax reassessment worth approximately 20 billion KRW by the National Tax Service, suspicions of tax evasion have expanded, with the controversy now extending to an eel restaurant previously operated by his mother.
Claims surfaced that the eel restaurant “Eojeoyeon Charcoal Grilled Eel,” which had operated in Ganghwa, Incheon, relocated and reopened late last year in Cheongdam, Gangnam, Seoul under the name “Eojeoyeon Cheongdam.” As Cha Eun Woo’s alleged tax issues drew attention online, speculation arose that the restaurant may have been moved amid the controversy, and criticism spread.
However, it has been confirmed that “Eojeoyeon Cheongdam” is unrelated to Cha Eun Woo’s mother or family. The restaurant is owned by his agency, Fantagio, and is operated by its wholly owned subsidiary, Fantagio M.
According to Fantagio, when Cha Eun Woo’s family decided to close the Ganghwa eel restaurant last year, the company began operating a new restaurant using the existing business name. Some staff members who had worked at the previous restaurant were hired, and the business is now run under a new corporate structure. The company stated that the Ganghwa and Cheongdam locations differ entirely in terms of corporate entity, ownership, and operational structure.
A Fantagio representative said on February 3rd KST, “The currently operating ‘Eojeoyeon Cheongdam’ is a completely different corporation from the Ganghwa ‘Eojeoyeon Charcoal Grilled Eel.’ The restaurant is operated by Fantagio M and has no connection to Cha Eun Woo’s family.”
Meanwhile, alongside the tax-related suspicions, the substance of Corporation A, established by his mother, has also become an issue. Corporation A was founded in October 2022 and registered its address in Deokseong-ri, Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. The address is reportedly the same as that of the eel restaurant operated by Cha Eun Woo’s parents.
Corporation A changed its address to an office in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, Seoul on December 23rd last year. The National Tax Service is reportedly examining whether Corporation A is connected to Cha Eun Woo’s income structure and whether it carried out substantive business activities.
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