Cha Eun Woo faces advertising fallout amid 20 billion KRW (approx. 13.6 million USD) tax evasion allegations

Cha Eun Woo, a member of ASTRO and an actor, is beginning to face backlash from the advertising industry amid allegations of large-scale tax evasion amounting to over 20 billion KRW (approximately 13.6 million USD).

According to OSEN on January 22, skincare brand Abib switched videos featuring Cha Eun Woo on its official YouTube channel and other platforms to private. The videos are currently inaccessible, displaying notices such as “This video is unavailable” and “This video is private.”

In addition, Abib deleted posts on X (formerly Twitter) that had announced Cha Eun Woo as its brand ambassador. However, promotional images and ambassador-related content featuring him remain visible on the brand’s official website.

Abib previously announced Cha Eun Woo as its new ambassador last year. At the time, the brand stated that “Cha Eun Woo is loved for his unique image and sophisticated charm, which align closely with Abib’s brand values.” A brand representative also explained that his “clear and clean image best represents Abib’s philosophy of ‘perfect beauty achieved through simplicity,’” adding that this was the reason for selecting him as a global ambassador.

Meanwhile, Cha Eun Woo reportedly been notified of an income tax assessment exceeding 20 billion KRW (approximately 13.6 million USD). Last year, the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Investigation Bureau 4 conducted an intensive investigation into alleged tax evasion involving a single-person agency established by his mother. Following the probe, tax authorities reportedly issued a notice demanding additional income tax payments surpassing 20 billion KRW (approximately 13.6 million USD)