 |
Photo courtesy of Fantagio |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] A former National Tax Service (NTS) investigator and current certified tax accountant has highlighted potential issues surrounding allegations of large-scale tax evasion involving Cha Eun-woo (birth name Lee Dong-min), a member of K-pop group ASTRO and an actor.
On January 24, YouTube channel Sebora TV released a video titled “Cha Eun-woo’s 20 Billion Won Tax Evasion Allegation — How Did It Begin?” The channel is operated by Moon Bora, a certified tax accountant with approximately 10 years of experience who previously served at the Seoul Regional Tax Office.
Moon stated, “This is an extremely heated topic. Cha Eun-woo, often referred to as a ‘face genius,’ is facing allegations of tax evasion totaling 20 billion won. This is not 200 million won, but an extraordinary 20 billion won — an amount unprecedented in South Korea for a single entertainer, and reportedly ranking sixth globally in terms of alleged tax evasion cases.”
She emphasized, however, that the allegation has not been legally confirmed. “There has been no final ruling that Cha Eun-woo evaded 20 billion won in taxes. At this stage, it reflects only the National Tax Service’s position. The NTS conducted a tax audit, established its taxation logic, and issued a preliminary tax assessment notice. Cha Eun-woo’s side has announced that it will respond and contest the assessment,” she explained.
Moon added that contesting the case may prove challenging, noting that the investigation was led by the NTS’s Fourth Bureau of Investigation, often referred to as the “grim reaper of the corporate world.”
“When I was in office, the Fourth Bureau was known to be extremely formidable. If tax evasion is deemed clear, the bureau acts decisively. As a special task force, it conducts unannounced investigations without prior notice. The fact that this bureau imposed a 20 billion won assessment suggests strong confidence in its taxation rationale,” she said.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
