Cha Eun-woo's family-run eel restaurant is under scrutiny amid tax evasion claims, but his agency clarifies its independence.
February/4/2026 19:16Related Groups & Members
Amid allegations of tax evasion against ASTRO's Cha Eun-woo, his agency has distanced itself from suspicions surrounding the eel restaurant reportedly run by his family. A representative from Fantagio stated today (the 4th) to My Daily, 'The currently operating 'Ojeongyeon Cheongdam' is a completely separate corporation from 'Ojeongyeon Charcoal Grilled Eel' located in Ganghwa Island,' and clarified that 'Ojeongyeon Cheongdam' is operated by Fantagio M, a 100% subsidiary of Fantagio. Previously, claims had been raised in online communities that the eel restaurant 'Ojeongyeon Charcoal Grilled Eel,' run by Cha Eun-woo's mother, had relocated to Cheongdam-dong in Gangnam, Seoul, at the end of last year and reopened under the name 'Ojeongyeon Cheongdam.' In response, Fantagio explained that the restaurant in Ganghwa Island and the one in Cheongdam-dong are entirely different entities and are unrelated to Cha Eun-woo's family. They also stated that the view that the restaurant moved to Cheongdam-dong after the tax evasion controversy is not true. The core of the controversy lies in the existence of the corporation established by Cha Eun-woo's mother. Fantagio has explained that this corporation entered into a business consignment contract related to entertainment activities with the agency, but the National Tax Service has determined that actual service provision could not be confirmed, labeling it a so-called 'paper company.' During this process, it was revealed that the address of the corporation matched that of the eel restaurant in Ganghwa Island, leading to an expansion of the suspicions. The corporation initially had its headquarters in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, but moved its address to Ganghwa Island in Incheon in 2022, and then relocated again to an office in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, Seoul at the end of last year. Last year, Cha Eun-woo was notified of a tax reassessment amounting to about 20 billion won (over 20 million yen) after an investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office's Investigation Bureau 4. This is the largest case of tax reassessment among celebrities, causing significant repercussions.
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