Cha Eunwoo was recently notified by the National Tax Service that he owes over ₩20 billion (approx. $13.7 million) in back taxes, following a thorough audit conducted prior to his military enlistment in July 2025. The amount is one of the largest ever imposed on a celebrity in South Korea.
While Eunwoo’s agency has denied any wrongdoing, the scandal has already sparked intense public scrutiny. But what shocked fans even more was when a seemingly unrelated photo of Eunwoo and Mingyu began circulating on X (formerly Twitter). The image, taken at a café, shows the two idols sharing a single drink harmless on the surface, but suddenly thrust into a different light due to the tax allegations.
The caption read: “He doesn’t pay 20 billion won in taxes, but at a café the two of them share just one drink.”
That post went viral and triggered a wave of sarcastic and critical replies, with some users even roping in other 97-liners like BTS’s Jungkook and GOT7’s Yugyeom, accusing them collectively of everything from womanizing to tax evasion without a shred of evidence.
One user mocked: “These guys are something else. Chasing women, committing crimes, evading taxes true multitaskers.”
Another sarcastically commented: “They take all the chicken and let you have only one bite.”
However, fans were quick to point out that the photo is from 2018, long before any tax issues emerged and completely unrelated to the current situation. Many passionately defended Mingyu, calling out the unfair attempt to smear others simply for their friendship.
Supportive comments included:
- “You little punk, 2018 was SEVENTEEN’s Pledis slave era. Are you serious? Why are people digging up old photos for no reason?”
- “He committed tax evasion? Oh really? Guess we’re just dragging anyone now for being in the same friend group.”
The incident highlights how quickly misinformation and misdirected blame can spread online, especially when fandoms and celebrity networks are involved. For now, fans continue to demand a more rational and fact-based conversation and for Mingyu and the others to be left out of a situation that has nothing to do with them.
Sources: Koreaboo
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