Cha Eun Woo, currently serving in the military, is facing growing backlash after news emerged that he will hold a photo exhibition in Japan as his first official activity following recent tax controversy reports.
According to local Japanese sources on March 15, Cha Eun Woo will hold a photo exhibition titled ‘Afterimage’ at NOVO in Tokyo from March 28 to May 12. In response, his agency Fantagio stated on March 16, “The exhibition was a project that had already been contracted in August 2024 and is being carried out according to the previously agreed schedule.”
Addressing concerns over whether hosting an exhibition during military service is appropriate, the agency explained, “This exhibition is a business carried out by the agency, which holds exclusive rights to the artist’s image IP. It is not a profit generating activity directly conducted by Cha Eun Woo as an active duty soldier.”
Despite the agency’s clarification, negative reactions have continued online. Some netizens expressed criticism, with one former ASTRO fan commenting, “This is something that could have been canceled as a form of self reflection, but it seems like it wasn’t.” Others reacted more strongly, saying, “He’s trying to make money even during military service to cover the 20 billion KRW issue,” while another user claiming to have recently completed military service stated, “Have they considered how active duty soldiers would feel seeing this?”
Earlier, on January 22, reports revealed that Cha Eun Woo had been notified of approximately 20 billion KRW (around $15 million USD) in additional income tax following a high intensity tax investigation by the National Tax Service. Authorities reportedly viewed a corporation established by his mother as a shell company and suspected that income had been distributed through the entity to apply a lower corporate tax rate instead of a higher personal income tax rate.
Cha Eun Woo’s side has denied the allegations and stated that they are continuing to respond through legal channels.
Fantagio added, “The key issue is whether the corporation established by his mother qualifies as a taxable entity. The matter has not been finalized or officially confirmed, and we plan to actively clarify our position through the proper legal procedures.”
As the controversy continues, attention is focused on how the situation will develop moving forward.
SEE MORE: Kim Se Jeong parts ways with Jellyfish entertainment after 10 years
SHARE
