A civic group has filed criminal complaints against the journalist who first broke the story and the tax official accused of leaking details of Cha Eun Woo's tax audit.
On February 10, the Korea Taxpayers Federation released a statement stating, "We have filed a complaint with the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency against the tax official who leaked information related to Cha Eun Woo's tax audit and against the journalist who first reported it on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and leaking confidential information under the Criminal Act."
The federation cited Article 81-13 of the Framework Act on National Taxes as the basis for the complaint. The provision strictly prohibits tax officials from providing or leaking taxation information they learn in the course of their duties to external parties, or from using such information for purposes other than those intended.
They stated, "The specific details of the additional tax assessment and the circumstances of the investigation related to Cha Eun Woo's tax audit are information that would be difficult to know unless one is an internal source," and claimed, "This is a case in which the possibility of a leak of tax information from the inside is very high."
They stressed, "the purpose of this complaint is not a measure meant to defend a specific celebrity, but rather an effort to restore public trust in the protection of tax information." Stating that "protection of tax information is a cornerstone of the tax system," they added, "if there is not a premise of trust that taxpayers' information is protected in all circumstances, confidence in the system itself may be undermined."
Explicitly referencing the case of the late Lee Sun Kyun, the federation also emphasized that "the cases where unverified investigation or audit information is publicly disclosed in ways that cause an individual's reputation and human rights to be damaged to an extent that is difficult to restore must not be repeated."
Attorney Lee Kyung Hwan, who is representing the complaint, stated, "Cha Eun Woo, too, should be afforded the same taxpayer rights as well as the presumption of innocence as ordinary citizens," adding, "It is not desirable for tax information to be leaked and for a social stigma to follow simply because the person is a celebrity."
On January 22, reports surfaced that Cha Eun Woo underwent a tax audit last year by Seoul Regional Tax Office's Investigation Division 4 over suspected tax evasion and that the National Tax Service notified the actor of an additional tax assessment exceeding 20 billion won (about $13.6 million USD).
Cha Eun Woo is currently serving in the army, with his discharge expected on January 27, 2027.
