So far, skincare brand Abib and Shinhan Bank have switched promotional videos featuring Cha to private on YouTube.
Actor and Astro member Cha Eun-woo has been in the line of fire from brands and the public amid investigations by South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) for tax evasion amounting to 20 billion won (US$13.6 million). This is reportedly one of the largest tax assessments conducted for a Korean celebrity.
On Thursday (Jan 22), Korean media reported that skincare brand Abib has switched promotional videos featuring Cha to private on YouTube. The videos are currently unplayable, displaying messages such as “This video cannot be played” or “This is a private video”.
The same has been done for Abib’s Korean Instagram page, while his image continues to be displayed on the global page for now. Posts announcing Cha as the brand’s ambassador on X (formerly Twitter) were also deleted. His profile photographs still remain on the brand’s official website.
Local media have also reported that advertisements for Shinhan Bank featuring Cha have been made private on the bank’s YouTube and social media channels as of Friday morning (Jan 23). Cha became a model for the bank’s financial services in early 2025.
Public backlash continues to grow in the midst of these allegations.
It was reported that Cha negotiated with the NTS to delay issuing the official audit results notice until his military enlistment process was completed. Cha enlisted for mandatory military service on Jul 28, 2025 and is scheduled to be discharged in January 2027.
This left netizens fuming as they criticised the actor for receiving “special treatment” and that he “ran away” to the military so that “by the time he returns from the military, everyone would’ve forgotten about this”.
The backlash also extends to Cha’s management agency, Fantagio.
In their statement refuting claims about the actor’s one-person agency being a “paper company” that doesn’t offer actual services, his legal representatives stated Cha’s mother “felt the need to protect her son’s entertainment activities and therefore established a company to directly operate a management business”.
This led fans to think that allegations against Cha are a direct result of Fantagio’s incompetent management and failure to protect the image of its artist.
Fantagio released a statement on Thursday, saying: “This matter has not yet been finally determined or notified, and we plan to actively explain our position through lawful procedures regarding the issues of legal interpretation and application.”
They affirmed that Cha would cooperate diligently regarding the matter.
As it stands, Cha’s representatives have formally objected to the decision and have challenged the ruling. They are currently awaiting the pre-assessment review outcome.
If the pre-assessment review is accepted, Cha will not be required to pay the assessed amount. If it is rejected, payment must be made, but he may continue to dispute the decision through other legal channels.
