Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo has found himself at the center of renewed scrutiny following his recent statement to SNS addressing allegations related to 200 billion won in tax matters. The post, published on January 26, has continued to spark debate, especially since Cha Eun-woo has repeatedly called himself “today is ‘Cha Eun-woo’” putting quotation marks around his stage name. Many netizens interpreted this as an attempt to emphasize her current star status, further fueling the negative reaction.
In his statement, Cha Eun-woo wrote, “For the past 11 years, despite missing you more than I own, today I have managed to remain in the undeserved position of ‘Cha Eun-woo’ thanks to the immense love and support you have given me.”
However, instead of offering a clear explanation or direct apology regarding the tax charges, he relied on a familiar celebrity narrative “repay love”. He added, “I will reflect on myself more rigorously and live with a greater sense of responsibility to repay the love I have received.”
This response, critics claim, has done nothing but rekindle doubts about Cha Eun-woo’s actual professional substance. Public opinion suggests that expectations for “today is Cha Eun-woo”beyond its image, they are remarkably low. Since his debut in 2014, Cha Eun-woo has maintained a largely scandal-free career for over a decade. Yet questions about his core competencies followed him persistently. As a member of ASTRO, he worked as a sub-vocalist, remembered more as “visual center” than for musical ability.
In acting, the pattern was similar. While he starred in popular dramas such as My ID is Gangnam Beauty AND True beautypublic praise often focused on the female leads’ performances, while Cha Eun-woo was labeled a “manhwa comes to life”a compliment aimed more at appearance than skill. Each project reignited debates about his acting ability, gradually eroding viewers’ trust.
With his name now linked to a major tax dispute, critics argue that the collapse of the “genius face” the image was inevitable. Stripped of that label, many wonder what remains. This perception explains why public sentiment has changed so quickly and harshly.
The times made things even worse. Shortly before Cha Eun-woo released his statement, an online community post titled “Why Can’t Cha Eun-woo Say He Will Repay the Audience by Acting” it went viral. The post contained multiple clips from his 2019 historical drama Historic newcomer Goo Hae-ryungprovoking harsh criticism. Comments included reactions like “His biggest crime is still acting,” AND “If he tries to repay the situation through acting, the negative reaction will be even worse.”
Within two days, the post surpassed 100,000 views and accumulated over 800 comments, with netizens reacting bluntly: “What is this?”, “Why is he acting like this?”, “I’ve never seen him act before, seeing him in clips is shocking,” AND “Did anyone really expect him to act or sing? People just liked his face.”
Amid the controversy, Cha Eun-woo will also appear alongside Park Eun-bin in the upcoming Netflix original series The Wonderful Oneswhich is scheduled for release in the second quarter of this year. However, tax charges have already cast a shadow over the project. For many critics the crux of the matter remains unchanged: before speaking reimbursement, “today is Cha Eun-woo” he must first demonstrate that there is something, beyond the images, that is worth believing in.
Sources: Nate News
