Cha Eun-woo, the singer and actor facing allegations of tax evasion involving over 20 billion won ($13.5 million), was spotted attending an Army band event during his military service.

Photos of Cha at an Army band event last Thursday were posted across online communities on Tuesday. In the images, Cha wears a suit and bow tie, standing in front of orchestra members and saluting the audience.


Allegations of tax evasion surfaced in January after reports stated that the National Tax Service had notified Cha of additional income tax payments exceeding 20 billion won.

“Had I not been serving as a soldier, I would have wanted to personally visit everyone affected by this matter and bow my head in apology,” the actor said in an apology released in January.

“I will faithfully comply with the tax-related procedures that follow, humbly accept the final judgment made by the relevant authorities and take responsibility accordingly.”

The singer followed up with another apology on April 8.

“I respect the National Tax Service’s procedures and results, and I have paid all related taxes so that no additional problems arise,” he wrote in a post uploaded to Instagram. “I will faithfully comply with the remaining procedures.”

Cha also claimed full responsibility regarding the allegations that he was able to receive a lower corporate tax rate than the income tax rate by signing a management services contract with a business established by his mother.

“I established the company [...] to continue my activities in a more stably manner during a period when I was going through various changes [...] in my career,” he said. “Looking back now, there were parts of that process that I did not examine as carefully as I should have, and the responsibility lies with me, not with my family or company.”

Cha enlisted in July last year and is currently serving as a corporal in the Army band. He is set to be discharged in January 2027.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]