ASTRO member and actor Cha Eunwoo’s upcoming Netflix series The WONDERfools has made a decision regarding its fate amid his tax evasion scandal.
According to OSEN’s report on the 17th, The WONDERfools will hold its official production presentation on May 12 at an undisclosed location in Seoul, marking the first public introduction of the project. Director Yoo In Sik and main cast members Park Eun Bin, Kim Hae Sook, Choi Dae Hoon, Lim Sung Jae, Son Hyun Joo, and others are expected to attend. However, Cha Eunwoo, who recently caused social controversy due to allegations of tax evasion amounting to ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.4 million USD) and is currently serving in the military, will not participate.
Earlier, there was speculation that the release of The WONDERfools might be delayed due to these tax evasion allegations against lead actor Cha Eunwoo. Nevertheless, despite concerns over potential schedule disruptions, the series is set to be released as originally planned in the second quarter. Following the production presentation on May 12, the series will be made available in over 190 countries worldwide on the afternoon of May 15.
Last July, before his enlistment, Cha Eunwoo underwent a rigorous investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Fourth Investigation Bureau on tax evasion charges and was notified of tax deductions exceeding ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.4 million USD). This is the largest amount of additional tax ever imposed on a celebrity to date. After this notification, Cha Eunwoo’s side filed a pre-assessment administrative review challenging the tax office’s decision.
Originally, the tax office’s investigation targeted Cha Eunwoo’s agency, Fantagio, but controversy arose when the investigation uncovered Corporation A, an eel restaurant operated by Cha Eunwoo’s mother. As a result, Fantagio was notified of an ₩8.20 billion KRW (about $5.50 million USD) tax deduction, while Corporation A including Cha Eunwoo was hit with a ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.4 million USD) tax deduction. It is reported that Cha Eunwoo has now hired a major law firm to respond to the situation.
Meanwhile, The WONDERfools is a superpower comic action adventure set in 1999, a time when apocalyptic sentiments were widespread, about a group of clumsy locals who, after unexpectedly gaining superpowers, fight villains threatening the peace of Haesung City. Directed by Yoo In Sik, known for Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and written by Heo Da Joong, who adapted Extreme Job, the series stars Park Eun Bin as Eun Chaeni, who suddenly gains superpowers after becoming entangled in unexpected events, and Cha Eunwoo as Lee Woon Jeong, a special public servant of Haesung City who approaches a series of mysterious disappearances with suspicion.