"All 20 Billion Won in Taxes Paid" Cha Eun-woo Bows Again, Expresses "Deep Remorse"

[Financial News] Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo, who has been embroiled in tax evasion allegations, has issued another official apology after completing payment of the taxes.
On the 8th, Cha Eun-woo posted a lengthy apology on his social media, writing, "I sincerely apologize for causing disappointment and confusion to many people, including my fans, due to the recent controversy over my tax payments."
Cha Eun-woo began by saying, "While various administrative procedures were underway, I had no choice but to be extremely cautious about making any public statement, and I apologize once again for the delay in addressing the matter." He continued, "I respect the procedures and conclusions of the National Tax Service (NTS), and to prevent any further confusion, I have paid all related taxes in full."
He went on, "I will also faithfully comply with the remaining procedures," adding, "Because I have been able to work thanks to the love and support of so many people, I am taking this issue all the more seriously and deeply."
Cha Eun-woo stated, "If there were areas I failed to examine carefully enough, all responsibility lies with me. I will not try to avoid this by saying I 'didn't know' or that it was 'someone else's decision' for any reason," and stressed, "The responsibility lies with me, not with my family or my agency."
He concluded, "To ensure that the same problem is never repeated, I will review every aspect of my future activities with greater caution and stricter standards," and added, "Once again, I offer my deepest apologies."
Last year, it became known that Cha Eun-woo had been notified of an additional tax assessment of around 20 billion won following an intensive, unscheduled tax audit by the 4th Investigation Bureau of the Seoul Regional Tax Office, sparking controversy.
The National Tax Service (NTS) determined that a corporation established under his mother's name was effectively a "paper company" that did not provide any real services. It viewed that, in the process of settling his income from his agency Fantagio, he had attempted to reduce his tax burden by applying the much lower corporate tax rate—more than 20 percentage points below the 45–49.5% income tax rate that should have applied.
In response, his agency Fantagio stated that "the matter has not yet been finally confirmed or notified, and we plan to actively clarify the issues regarding the interpretation and application of the law through proper procedures." However, it now appears that they have ultimately decided to accept the tax authorities' decision.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter