Cha Eunwoo, an ASTRO member and actor, is back in the news after reports came out that he paid about ₩20.0 billion KRW (about $13.5 million USD) in taxes. This comes at a time when people are still talking about claims that he evaded taxes.

After netizens misunderstood his recent tax settlement, the controversy came back. Some people online thought it was an admission of wrongdoing. However, tax experts have said that these conclusions may be too early, pointing out that payments made during disputes are often more about following the rules than confessing.

Koreaboo reported Cha Eunwoo's official statement noted, "I respect the procedures and results of the National Tax Service and paid the relevant taxes to prevent further confusion," adding that he takes responsibility for any shortcomings.

Taxpayers often settle disputed amounts first while filing formal appeals, according to experts in the field. This approach can reduce the potential penalties. They also said that making a full payment doesn't always mean that someone did something wrong on purpose.

According to experts, "it's common for taxpayers to pay first while proceeding with an appeal, in order to reduce potential penalties. This means full payment does not necessarily indicate intentional wrongdoing."

However, further studies proved that revisions were still possible, based on the outcome of the ongoing reviews. These reviews look at problems like double taxation that involve corporate and value-added taxes.

Reports say that the authorities didn't use the maximum penalties that are usually used for intentional tax evasion, which can be as high as 40%. Instead, they used the usual penalties for underreporting.

On the other hand, it was noted that paying off in full by Cha Eunwoo was interpreted as an attempt to solve the problem without losing any chance of administrative assessment.

Despite all this information, there were mixed reactions from internet community members. Many people on theqoo have criticized how the media has covered the situation, saying that the reports were misleading or exaggerated.

"Wordplay." one commenter said. Another user was upset by what they thought was misleading framing and said, "This is like saying I drove while drunk, but did not commit a DUI."

"WTH is he saying?" said one user. Another comment criticized how people see and support the actor, saying, "It's so obvious he tried to evade taxes, so why are people trying to shield him? It must be fun for him to live such an easy life. Those boy crazy fans are impressive." The latest reply consisted of just one word – "Ugh."

The discussion regarding the issue is getting even more heated by the day, and Cha Eunwoo's pay has been attracting much attention too, with some believing that it is a legal matter while others consider it to be problematic.