South Korean singer and actor Cha Eun-Woo said he takes full responsibility for his tax dispute and confirmed he has paid his related taxes in full after weeks of scrutiny over a multimillion-dollar reassessment.
Cha released the statement on Wednesday through his personal social media account, saying he respects the procedures and findings of the National Fiscal Service and wants to avoid further confusion by resolving the matter.
He also apologized to fans for the disappointment and said he would speak now because administrative procedures were still ongoing GMA Network.
In his statement, Cha said the responsibility lies with him, not his family or his company. He added that he would not justify the matter by saying he didn’t know or that it was someone else’s decision.
The dispute began after South Korea’s National Tax Service reportedly notified Cha last year of an additional tax assessment exceeding 20 billion won, or about $13.6 million, following a high-intensity audit. Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Reports said the case centered on a company linked to his family and his entertainment income, which tax authorities reportedly considered a paper company used to lower taxes.
Cha’s agency, Fantagio, initially said the matter was still under review and that it intended to contest the assessment. This position changed after the latest developments, with the agency subsequently confirming that taxes had been paid and that part of the amount could be adjusted through a refund process for overlapping corporate and value added taxes.
One report said the actual burden is expected to be around 13 billion won ($8.8 million) after adjustments, even though the original revaluation was higher. The same report states that Cha was audited in the first half of last year, before his military enlistment, and that the case is considered unusually large for a Korean entertainer, according to Chosun.
