Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo, long marketed as K-pop’s ultimate “good image” star, is facing mounting fallout after being swept up in allegations involving roughly 20 billion won ($15 million) in unpaid taxes. While the tax bill has not yet been finalized, the controversy is already rippling through the advertising world and casting uncertainty over his upcoming projects. Several brands Cha fronts as a model have begun quietly distancing themselves from the star. Fashion label Marithé François Girbaud has adjusted Cha’s photos and videos to private on its official social media accounts. Earlier, skin care brand Abib and major commercial lender Shinhan Bank also removed posts featuring Cha. None of the brands have publicly explained the actions. However, they came after the tax allegations surfaced, leading industry watchers to interpret them as precautionary steps to avoid reputational risk. According to industry sources, Cha underwent an intensive tax audit last year by the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Investigation Bureau 4. Following the probe, the National Tax Service repo