K-pop idol Cha Eun-woo is set to return to the small screen with Netflix’s action-comedy The Wonderfools, his first project since settling about 13 billion won (RM34.9mil) in unpaid taxes.
The Wonderfools, which also stars South Korean actress Park Eun-bin of Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) fame, is scheduled to debut globally on May 15.
Set in 1999, The Wonderfools follows a group of small-town misfits who unexpectedly develop superpowers and are forced to band together against a looming global threat.
Park, 33, leads the ensemble alongside Cha, 29, who plays a mysterious figure with supernatural abilities.
The series also reunites Park with director Yoo In-sik, who helmed the hit K-drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
The Wonderfools’ roll-out had been clouded in controversy after Cha became embroiled in a high-profile tax dispute earlier in 2026.
In January, South Korea’s tax authorities issued a reassessment of about 20 billion won – ranking as one of the largest such cases involving a celebrity in the country.
The National Tax Service found that Cha routed income through a company registered under his mother’s name, effectively treating it as a paper entity to take advantage of lower corporate tax rates rather than the top 45% personal income bracket.
The singer-actor rose to fame after debuting with K-pop boy band Astro in 2016 and has starred in K-dramas such as My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018), True Beauty (2020 to 2021) and Wonderful World (2024).
Currently serving his mandatory military service, Cha issued a public apology on Jan 26 as the allegations mounted. He pledged full cooperation with the authorities and said he would accept the outcome of the review process.
On April 8, he confirmed via social media that all outstanding taxes had been paid.
Cha’s agency, Fantagio, noted that the final liability of about 13 billion won was lower than initially estimated, and that procedures were under way to reclaim any overlapping payments related to corporate and value-added taxes. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
