Fantagio Denies Claims Regarding Cha Eunwoo’s Eel Restaurant, Triggers Even More Backlash
ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo, who is currently facing tax evasion allegations through a paper company established by his mother.
Previously, photos of an eel restaurant with the same registered address as the company have drawn significant backlash online.
This comes after claims surfaced that the eel restaurant, Eojeyeon Charcoal Grilled Eel, previously operating on Ganghwa Island, had relocated and reopened under the name Eojeyeon Cheongdam in Gangnam, Seoul, last year.
Speculations spread that the relocation was due to Cha Eunwoo’s tax evasion controversy. However, upon verification, it was revealed that Yeojeyeon Cheongdam was not affiliated with Cha Eunwoo’s mother or family.
The store is owned by Cha Eunwoo’s agency, Fantagio, and operated by its 100% subsidiary, Fantagio M.
Fantagio stated that Cha Eunwoo’s family decided to close their eel restaurant in Ganghwa Island last year, and the company has since retained the existing name and is operating the new store. They claim that the corporate ownership and operational structures are completely different.
On February 2, a Fantagio representative stated, “The Cheongdam restaurant is completely different from the restaurant in Ganghwa Island. The store in question is operated by Fantagio M and has no connection to Cha Eunwoo’s family.”
However, netizens felt that if it was run by Fantagio, it still was connected to Cha Eunwoo.
- “Fantagio just feels like a broker now at this point.”
- “So the agency took over the restaurant name after his parents decided to close down? What is going on?”
- “This just makes it even more strange…”
- “How does it have no connection to him when it’s his agency?”
- “How is it not related to him if they sent him to the military after being caught with tax evasion and moving the restaurant to their subsidiary?”
- “This could be a problem for the agency…they really seem like a broker.”
- “I guess it’s time to investigate Fantagio…”
