This article is part of our coverage of Cha Eunwoo’s Tax Evasion Scandal. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
The person behind the voice of main character Rumi in the Netflix animation Kpop Demon Hunters, has addressed her public support for ASTRO member and actor Cha Eunwoo, who is currently under suspicion of tax evasion.
Arden Cho, who voices the main character Rumi for Kpop Demon Hunters, clarified that her public encouragement of Cha Eunwoo was simply a personal expression of support due to their friendship, and she had no intention of making any judgment or endorsement regarding the controversial issue.
She added, “I regret that my personal feelings were expressed publicly, and I will be more cautious moving forward.”
Cha Eunwoo and Arden Cho released a cover duet for the KPop Demon Hunters OST titled “Free” in July last year. Before Cha Eunwoo enlisted in the military, Arden Cho sent an encouraging message saying, “Take care, stay healthy, and I’ll always support you. Let’s meet in Hollywood when you come back.”
Earlier, on the 26th of last month, Cha Eunwoo posted a statement on his social media account addressing the tax evasion allegations. Arden Cho commented on the post, writing, “Always supporting you, little brother. Fighting,” showing her support for him.
Netizens who saw her comment responded critically, saying things like, “Be more aware,” “Sometimes staying quiet is helping,” “Don’t you know tax evasion is a criminal charge?” and “Only those who pay taxes in Korea should speak.”
Last year, Cha Eunwoo underwent an intensive tax investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office Investigation Division 4 and was notified of additional income tax payments exceeding ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.8 million USD). This is one of the largest tax surcharges ever imposed on a domestic celebrity.
The National Tax Service concluded that Company A, established by Cha Eunwoo’s mother, signed a service contract with his agency Fantagio but did not actually provide the service, classifying it as a so-called “paper company.”
Furthermore, the National Tax Service believes that Cha Eunwoo and his mother set up Company A to reduce income tax by distributing income and applying the corporate tax rate—which is more than 20 percentage points lower than the individual income tax rate—through this scheme.
Following the notification of the ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.8 million USD) surcharge, Cha Eunwoo’s side has filed an objection to the tax authorities and is awaiting the results of the “pre-assessment review” process.