Actress Arden Cho is standing firmly by her close friend and colleague, Cha Eun Woo, amidst one of the most significant financial controversies to hit the Korean entertainment industry.

Known for her role in the Netflix animation K-Pop Demon Hunters, Cho took to Instagram to leave a public message of encouragement for the star. Under Cha Eun Woo’s recent statement addressing the allegations, she wrote, “Always supporting you dongseng, Hwaiting!” using the affectionate Korean term for a younger sibling-figure to show her solidarity.

The public display of loyalty comes at a turbulent time for the ASTRO member and actor. Cha Eun Woo is currently facing serious allegations from the Seoul Regional Tax Office regarding approximately 20 billion KRW (approx. 13.8 million USD) in unpaid taxes. Authorities allege that he and his mother utilized a paper company to apply a corporate tax rate, attempting to reduce their tax liabilities by roughly 45%.

On January 26, Cha Eun Woo broke his silence from the military to address the rumors directly. He vehemently denied that his enlistment was an attempt to flee the investigation. “I am reflecting deeply on whether my approach to fulfilling my tax obligations has been sufficiently strict,” he stated. “Although I am currently serving in the military, my enlistment was not intended to avoid this controversy. Last year, I reached a point where I could no longer postpone my enlistment.”

He further added that if he were not currently serving, he would personally apologize to everyone affected. Meanwhile, his agency, Fantagio, has pushed back, stating that the investigation is not finalized and the dispute centers on whether the family’s company qualifies as a substantive tax entity. The reported 20 billion KRW assessment is currently cited as the largest amount ever involved in a Korean entertainment tax investigation.