Citizen group Taxpayers’ Union has filed a complaint against the reporter who reported the ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.7 million USD) back tax notice issued to Astro member Cha Eun-woo and the tax officials involved.
On the 10th, the Taxpayers’ Union stated, “We have filed a complaint with the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters against an unidentified tax official who leaked Cha Eun-woo’s tax investigation information and the reporter who first reported it, on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and criminal secrecy breaches.”
The union said, “The accused unauthorizedly leaked specific tax information related to Cha Eun-woo’s tax investigation, violating the secrecy principle guaranteed by the Framework Act on National Taxes and infringing on taxpayer rights. Such information leaks are serious matters that can cause irreparable harm to the individuals involved.”
They added, “This is not to defend or support any individual but to establish social trust that ‘tax information is always securely protected.’ Incidents like the past Lee Sun Kyun case, where unverified investigations and information were disclosed, causing irreparable damage to personal honor and human rights, must not be repeated.”
Attorney Lee Kyung Hwan, representing the complainants, stated, “Cha Eunwoo, as a Korean citizen and taxpayer, should be equally protected by taxpayer rights under the Framework Act on National Taxes and the constitutional presumption of innocence. The law must be enforced equally regardless of fame, and it is undesirable that tax information is leaked and social stigma attached merely because one is famous.”
Kim Sun Taek, chairman of the Taxpayers’ Union, said, “The National Tax Service is an institution holding extremely sensitive personal information on a large scale, including citizens’ income, property, medical expenses, donation expenditures, and credit card usage. It is a serious problem if such information is managed carelessly.”
Last year, the Seoul Regional National Tax Service conducted a high-intensity tax investigation on Cha Eunwoo in the first half of the year and notified him of over ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.7 million USD) in income tax back payments.