Astro

Cha Eun-woo, a member of the boy group Astro and one of South Korea’s most sought-after endorsers, has fully settled a tax dispute with the National Tax Service, paying about 13 billion won ($8.7 million), according to local media reports. The singer and actor said in a statement posted Wednesday on social media that he “respects the procedures and results of the National Tax Service” and had paid all related taxes to prevent further confusion. He added that he would “faithfully cooperate with a

Cha Eunwoo of Astro will be holding a photo exhibition in Tokyo, according to a local media report. From March 28 to May 12, a collection of candid photographs capturing the singer-actor in “behind the scenes” moments will be on display under the title “Afterimage.” The news comes while he is in the middle of an investigation over tax evasion, which could levy him with 20 billion won ($13.3 million), the largest for an entertainer in Korea. Agency Fantagio explained that the event is being held

A South Korean civic group has filed criminal complaints over the alleged leak of tax investigation details involving celebrity Cha Eun-woo, warning that unchecked disclosures risk repeating the kind of reputational damage seen in the case of late actor Lee Sun-kyun. The Korea Taxpayers Federation said on Tuesday it had reported a tax official accused of leaking confidential information and the journalist who first reported it to police. The federation said the complaint cites violations of the Personal Information Protection Act and criminal law provisions on disclosure of official secrets. The group said the leak concerned details of a tax investigation into Cha, a member of K-pop boy band ASTRO who is also active as an actor. It said the information could only have been known to tax investigators or officials in the approval chain, raising strong suspicions of an internal leak. “The accused parties unlawfully disclosed specific details related to Cha Eun-woo’s tax investigation, infringing on confidentiality principles guaranteed by the Framework Act on National Taxes and the rig

Stories of foreign Christian missionaries who spread the word of God and laid the foundations of education and medicine on the Korean Peninsula in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are often told in books, museum exhibitions and documentaries. “The Mission:K,” a musical that premiered Friday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, marked a lively addition to these storytelling methods. The production featured four male K-pop idols portraying four historical figures. MJ from ASTRO played Horace N. Allen (1858-1932) of the United States, who established the first Western medical clinic in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Jaeyoon from SF9 took on the role of Horace G. Underwood (1859-1916), an American missionary known for founding the Joseon Christian College, which later became Yonsei University. Kim Dong-jun from ZE:A portrayed Canadian doctor Oliver R. Avison (1860-1956), who led quarantine efforts during the outbreak of cholera and is credited with opening Severance Hospital and Severance Medical College. Ricky from Teen Top played Louis H. Severance (1838-1913

Stories of foreign Christian missionaries who spread the word of God and laid the foundations of education and medicine on the Korean Peninsula in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are often told in books, museum exhibitions and documentaries. “The Mission:K,” a musical that premiered Friday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, marked a lively addition to these storytelling methods. The production featured four male K-pop idols portraying four historical figures. MJ from ASTRO played Horace N. Allen (1858-1932) of the United States, who established the first Western medical clinic in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Jae Yoon from SF9 took on the role of Horace G. Underwood (1859-1916), an American missionary known for founding the Joseon Christian College, which later became Yonsei University. Kim Dong-jun from ZE:A portrayed Canadian doctor Oliver R. Avison (1860-1956), who led quarantine efforts during the outbreak of cholera and is credited with opening Severance Hospital and Severance Medical College. Ricky from Teen Top played Louis H. Severance (1838-191

Cha Eun-woo, one of Korea’s most popular singer-actors, is facing allegations of large-scale tax evasion — yet public attention is now turning to the wave of emotional support filling his social media accounts. The ASTRO member and actor recently became embroiled in allegations involving roughly 20 billion won ($14.6 million) in unpaid taxes, an amount that would mark the largest tax penalty ever imposed on a South Korean celebrity if confirmed. On Monday, Cha posted a lengthy apology on his personal social media account, directly addressing the controversy. In the statement, he said he had taken time to reflect on whether he had fulfilled his duty as a taxpayer with sufficient responsibility and seriousness. He also said that if he were not currently serving as a soldier, he would have personally visited those affected to offer an apology in person. Cha added that he would fully cooperate with all ongoing tax-related procedures and accept the final judgment of authorities with humility, taking responsibility accordingly. The allegations came as a shock to many fans, given Cha’s de