[TV Report’s Kim Do-hyun] ASTRO member Cha Eun-woo will hold a photo exhibition in Japan. According to Japanese promotional sites on the 15th, Cha Eun-woo will launch the exhibition ‘Afterimage’ in Ginza, Tokyo, from the 28th to May 12th.
The exhibition aims to showcase Cha Eun-woo’s daily life divided into seven different time slots and spaces under the main theme of ‘an ordinary day.’ It is especially notable for incorporating the universe from his photobook “ME:BOX,” released in 2025.
This exhibition is drawing attention as it marks Cha Eun-woo’s first external event since the tax evasion allegations surfaced earlier this year. Currently serving in the military, Cha has halted entertainment activities, separate from the public outcry. According to Ilgan Sports, Fantagio explained that “this exhibition is a project contracted in August 2024 and is being implemented according to previously stipulated schedules.”
Previously, on January 22, Cha Eun-woo received a notice to pay approximately 20 billion KRW in income tax after an intensive tax audit by the 4th Division of the National Tax Service. The agency identified that Cha, alongside his mother, established a separate corporation labeled as a paper company to apply a lower corporate tax rate of about 20% instead of a maximum personal income tax rate of 45% by distributing income. Cha Eun-woo’s side stated they would clarify the matter through legitimate procedures like tax assessment review and would “humbly accept and take responsibility for the final decision made by the relevant authorities.”
Meanwhile, a new bill aimed at curbing tax evasion among celebrities was introduced earlier this month. On the 3rd, Jeong Yeon-uk, a member of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly, announced the initiation of an amendment to the ‘Act on the Development of Public Culture and Arts Industry.’ The amendment is pushing forward with provisions allowing the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to oversee agency management and restricting those penalized for tax evasion beyond fines from running entertainment businesses.