A civic group has filed a criminal complaint over coverage of alleged tax evasion by actor-singer Cha Eun-woo, arguing the taxpayer confidentiality principle was violated. The complaint names the National Tax Service and the reporter who first broke the story.
Founded in 2001, the Korea Taxpayers’ Union said on the 10th that tax audit and assessment details were leaked “simply because he’s a celebrity,” and that unverified information was reported as confirmed facts, leading to social stigma. The group said it filed the complaint with the National Office of Investigation.
In its filing, the group argued that the Framework Act on National Taxes strictly bans tax officials from providing or leaking taxpayer information or using it for other purposes. It added that concrete details about Cha Eun-woo’s audit―such as the size of any additional assessment and the investigation process―are known only to the internal approval line or investigating officials, suggesting a high likelihood of an internal leak.
The group also warned against a repeat of situations where unverified investigation details are publicized and a person’s reputation and rights suffer irreparable damage, citing the late Lee Sun-kyun as an example. Attorney Lee Kyung-hwan, who filed on the group’s behalf, said Cha Eun-woo is a Korean citizen and taxpayer who deserves the same constitutional presumption of innocence and taxpayer rights. “It is not desirable for tax information to leak and for someone to be socially stigmatized just because they are famous,” the attorney said.
Previously, media reports claimed that Cha Eun-woo underwent an unscheduled audit by the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s 4th Investigation Bureau last year and was notified of more than 20 billion won in additional taxes, including income tax. The National Tax Service was reportedly of the view that, during profit distribution involving his agency and a corporation under his mother’s name, a corporate structure was used to avoid personal income tax rates.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)