Cha Eun-woo, who was embroiled in tax evasion allegations, apologized directly, saying the actual tax burden will be about 13 billion won, but public reaction remains cold. However, some public opinion urges not to pile on too much, producing mixed responses.
On the 9th, Cha Eun-woo's agency Fantagio said, "If the National Tax Service refund procedures are completed, the actual burden will be about 13 billion won," and "all personal income taxes have been fully paid, and the overlapping taxed portions among previously paid corporate tax·value-added taxes will go through refund procedures," it said.
Earlier, Cha Eun-woo was notified of additional taxes in the 200 billion won range following a tax audit by the Seoul Regional Tax Service last year, and after adjustment procedures the actual payment is reported to have been settled at around 13 billion won.
The National Tax Service reportedly raised the issue after finding that Cha Eun-woo's side had distributed revenue through a family-owned corporation. In response, Cha Eun-woo said the company had been established to stabilize activities, but acknowledged that the responsibility for not having looked into it sufficiently lies with him.
In a direct apology, Cha Eun-woo said, "I will not evade responsibility by saying I did not know or that it was someone else's judgment," and "I will check more carefully so that the same problem does not recur."
Public reaction, however, is divided. Some netizens said, "You should have admitted it earlier," and "Whether 13 billion or 20 billion won, this is by no means a light matter," and some even criticized it as "making a pretext to return."
On the other hand, some said, "Since he admitted the wrong and said he will take responsibility, we should wait and see," "What matters is his future attitude and actions," and "Preventing recurrence is more important than unconditional condemnation."
As public opinion remains divided over Cha Eun-woo, whether trust is restored will depend not on the apology alone but on what steps Cha Eun-woo takes going forward.
[photo] "OSEN DB"
[OSEN]