Rumors have been circulating on social media claiming that the whistleblower who reported singer and actor Cha Eun Woo‘s alleged tax evasion received a reward of 2 billion won ($1.4 million). The posts have gained more than 2 million views online.
Cha Eun Woo came under scrutiny in January over alleged tax issues involving his one-person agency, which was established under his family’s name. He later paid approximately 13 billion won ($9.2 million) in back taxes. He is currently serving his mandatory military service.
South Korea offers financial rewards to people whose tax evasion reports lead to the collection of unpaid taxes. However, SBS found that the viral claim about Cha Eun Woo’s alleged whistleblower receiving a 2 billion won reward is not true.
The National Tax Service (NTS) told SBS that it could not confirm whether anyone reported Cha Eun Woo because tax-related information is protected by law.
The NTS also explained that no reward can be paid at this stage because the case has not been finalized. According to recent reports, Cha Eun Woo has appealed the tax assessment, meaning the amount of back taxes is still under review.
Under current rules, a whistleblower reward can only be considered after the back taxes have been fully paid and all appeals or legal proceedings have been completed.
Even if the 13 billion won tax bill is ultimately upheld and the whistleblower is credited with the maximum possible contribution, SBS calculated that the reward would be about 1 billion won ($700,000), not 2 billion won as claimed online.
Another rumor claimed that the whistleblower was actually a tax official and that the person received a reward of 20 million won ($14,000).
However, the NTS said tax officials cannot receive whistleblower rewards for information obtained through their official duties. While tax officials may receive awards of up to 20 million won in certain cases, those are given for outstanding service related to tax administration or litigation, not for reporting tax evasion.
SBS concluded that there is no evidence supporting either viral claim that Cha Eun Woo’s alleged whistleblower received 2 billion won ($1.4 million) or that a tax official received 20 million won ($700,000).
The report also emphasized that whistleblower rewards are not paid simply because someone files a report. The information must make a decisive contribution to the investigation, the tax assessment must become final, and all appeals must be resolved before any payment can be considered.
SBS warned that recent discussions about expanding South Korea’s whistleblower reward program could lead to more misinformation and urged the public to be cautious about unverified claims circulating online.
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