Cha Eun-woo

2013–2015: Career beginnings and acting debut

Cha was discovered by a talent scout during a festival at his middle school and offered to cast him. Cha's training started during his first year of high school.^[4] He debuted as an actor in 2014 with a minor role in the film My Brilliant Life, starring Gang Dong-won and Song Hye-kyo.^[8] Due to his impact in the film, Cha as the rookie actor Lee Dong-min, was selected as model for Korean cosmetics brand Shara Shara.^[9] He was the fourth trainee to be officially introduced with the Fantagio i-Teen Photo Test Cut. In August 2015, Cha was cast as the lead in the web-drama To Be Continued with Kim Sae-ron.^[10]

2016–2022: Debut with Astro, solo activities and rising popularity

Cha debuted in Astro on February 23, 2016, with the EP Spring Up. In May, Cha was announced as one of the cast members of SBS reality-documentary show Law of the Jungle in New Caledonia.^[11] In August, Cha participated in the Chuseok special variety show Replies That Make Us Flutter alongside Twice's Dahyun, where the two played fictionized versions of themselves in a high school romantic comedy.^[12][13] In September, he participated in another Chuseok pilot program, Boomshakalaka.^[14] Cha was announced as a host of Show! Music Core alongside Kim Sae-ron, Lee Soo-min and Xiyeon from 2016 to 2018.^[15] In 2016, he also starred in the web drama My Romantic Some Recipe.^[16]

In 2017, Cha was cast in the KBS2 drama Hit the Top^[17] and starred in the web drama Sweet Revenge.^[18] Cha was announced as a host of MBC Gayo Daejejeon from 2017 to 2019.^[19][20] In 2018, Cha starred in the YouTube Original show Top Management. In it, he played the role of Yeon Woo, a young man who aspired to be an idol. The show was a first for the streaming service, which at the time had never offered a “YouTube K-drama series”.^[21] He was later cast in the JTBC romantic comedy series Gangnam Beauty, his first leading role on television.^[22][23] He saw a rise in popularity after the series aired^[24][25] and was included in GQ Korea's "Men of the Year".^[26] In 2019, Cha starred in the historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung alongside Shin Se-kyung.^[27] He played the role of a royal prince who became a romance novelist, and won the Excellence Award for an Actor and Best Couple Award with Shin at the MBC Drama Awards.^[28] In December, he was announced as a cast member of the new variety show Handsome Tigers alongside Joy, Lee Sang-yoon, Yoo Seon-ho, and Seo Jang-hoon.^[29]

In April 2020, Cha joined SBS television show Master in the House as a fixed cast member.^[30] At the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards, he won the Rookie Award for his role on the show.^[31] In December 2020, he starred in the tvN coming-of-age romance drama True Beauty based on the webtoon of the same name, playing a high school student alongside Moon Ga-young.^[32][33] In June 2021, he left Master in the House.^[34] In November 2021, Cha released "Don't Cry, My Love", a ballad song featuring a piano performance, for the official soundtrack of the comic Under The Oak Tree.^[35] In 2022, Cha recorded the remake of "Focus on Me" for the soundtrack of the Kakao Webtoon The Villainess Is a Marionette, released on February 22.^[36] He then played the role of a Navy officer in Hwang In-ho's urban terror action film Decibel which was released in November 2022.^[37] Later that year he starred in TVING drama Island alongside Kim Nam-gil, Lee Da-hee and Sung Joon, playing the role of an exorcist priest.^[38] On December 30, Fantagio released an official statement stating that Cha had decided to renew his contract with the agency.^[39]

2023–present: Solo ventures and mainstream popularity

In 2023, Cha held his first solo photography exhibition, titled ARCHIVE, at The Seouliteum in Seoul, which featured personal photographs.^[40] He also starred in the webtoon-based fantasy romance drama A Good Day to Be a Dog.^[41] For the series, he released the remake of the song "Jealousy", originally sung by Yoo Seung-beom, as part of the soundtrack.^[42] Cha became the first Asian artist to receive the VMAs Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2023, a special award honoring achievements in global artistic activities.^[43]

In 2024, Cha embarked on the Just One 10 Minutes "Mystery Elevator", his first solo fan concert.^[44][45] He performed all songs included in his album for the first time at the Seoul fan concert.^[46] On February 15, Cha's extended play Entity was released, containing the lead single "Stay". The music video features him and American actress India Eisley.^[47] His Just One 10 Minutes fan concert began on February 17 in South Korea, including tours to Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, as well as Indonesia.^[44][48] On February 19, the music video of the EP, "Where Am I" was released.^[49] On March 27, it was announced that three more concerts were added in Hongkong, Brazil and Mexico between April 26 and June 5.^[50][51] On April 25, due to demand, a second show was added in Mexico at Arena CDMX on June 4.^[52] On May 16, the encore fan concert tour Just One 10 Minutes "Mystery Elevator Encore". It began in Japan at K-Arena Yokohama on June 29 and 30. Cha was scheduled to reunite with the audience in South Korea at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium on July 6.^[53]

Cha co-starred in the se Wonderful World opposite actress Kim Nam-joo aired in 2024.^[54][55] In August 2024, Cha released the digital single "Hey Hello" in collaboration with Peder Elias. The song was first revealed at his encore solo fan concert last month where Elias appeared as guest.^[56] In December 2024, Cha featured in Lee Seung Gi's 20th debut anniversary album With, in the song "Because You're My Woman".^[57]

In the beginning of 2025, Cha starred as one of the cast members of tvN's variety show Rented in Finland along with Lee Je-hoon, Lee Dong-hwi, and Kwak Dong-yeon.^[58] In April 2025, Cha contributed to the tribute song for his Astro bandmate Moonbin to mark the second anniversary of his death.^[59][60] He personally contacted all those involved in the project.^[61][59] In May, Cha made a special appearance in IU's music video, "A Beautiful Person".^[62] On June 18, Cha will release his first VR concert, Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories, which will premiere in 21 cities worldwide including Seoul, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Mexico City, Taipei, Beijing, Hong Kong, Hanoi, Singapore, and Jakarta.^[63] On June 21, it was announced that Cha is preparing to hold a solo fan meeting before his enlistment, "THE ROYAL", at Kyung Hee University Peace Hall in Seoul on July 12, followed by two shows in Japan at Ariake Arena on July 15.^[64][65] In July, Cha collaborated with Arden Cho on an acoustic cover of "Free", the theme song from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters.^[66] On August 4, the song is released on all music platforms.^[67] On September 2025, Cha Eun-woo: Memories in Cinemas was released at CGV theaters. The project is a film adaptation of the Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories, presented in 2D, ScreenX, 4DX, and Ultra 4DX formats. It premiere in South Korea, with sequential releases in cities worldwide.^[68] He made his leading film debut with director Nam Dae-jung's film The First Ride released in October 2025.^[69] In November 2025, Cha released his second extended play (EP), Else.^[70]

In 2026, Cha is set to star in the Netflix superpower comedy series The Wonderfools alongside Park Eun-bin for which he will play a socially awkward civic servant from Seoul.^[71] From March 28 to May 12, he held a solo photo exhibition titled Cha Eun-woo Solo Exhibition: Afterimage at the Ginza Novo gallery in Tokyo, Japan.^[72]

Endorsements and fashion

As the rookie actor Lee Dong-min, he was selected as model for Korean cosmetics brand Shara Shara in 2014.^[9] In January 2017, Cha was chosen as exclusive model for the shoe brand Bluemountain Korea.^[73] In February, Cha was chosen as advertising model for the French outdoor clothing brand Lafuma.^[74] In April, he was selected as promotional model for Clearteen, a dermatological line from the South Korean pharmaceutical company Handok.^[75] In May, Cha become an advertising model for the ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins.^[76] In June, Cha was chosen as promotional model for Lotte Water Park.^[77] In August, he was selected as a promotional model for POLHAM.^[78] In October, Cha was chosen as an advertising model for Nongshim pretzel.^[79]

In January 2018, Cha was selected as the model for Aritaum's Angel Kiss Tint, from the South Korean beauty and cosmetics brand Amorepacific.^[80] In July, Cha was chosen as new TV commercial model for "EyeBon", an eye care product line by Dong-A Pharmaceutical.^[81] In October, Cha was chosen as the first muse for the street fashion brand BMS (Be My Self).^[82] Additionally, Cha became the muse for Atelier Cologne,^[83] and was selected as advertising model for Kellogg's Hershey Choco Crunch cereal.^[84] In December, Cha became the advertising model for Goobne Chicken,^[85] and a brand ambassador for Italian luxury fashion house Armani's watches.^[86] In January 2019, Cha was selected as a promotional model for the American luggage brand Samsonite's Red line.^[87] In March, he was announced as the promotional model for LG Uplus' 5G,^[88] and became the muse for American footwear and sports brand K-Swiss.^[89] In June, Cha was appointed as a new promotional model for Samsung Card.^[90] In August, Cha was selected as an advertising model for beauty brand Liz K.^[91] In October, he became the new face of beauty device company Unix Electronics.^[92]

In January 2020, Cha became a brand ambassador for South Korean cosmeceutical brand BRTC (Bio Remedies Therapeutic Cosmetics) in China.^[93] In February, Cha was appointed an official model for Australian/New Zealand multinational brand sportswear brand 2XU.^[94] In December, he was named the global face of Filipino beauty and health brand Frontrow.^[95] In January 2021, Cha was chosen as advertising model for Dong-A Pharmaceutical's derma cosmetics brand, Fation.^[96] In February, Cha became Penshoppe's international ambassador.^[97] In March, he was selected as the brand model for Noona Holdak Chicken.^[98] In May, Cha was chosen as a new model for clothing brand O'Neill.^[99] In July, Cha became a brand ambassador for the British luxury fashion house Burberry,^[100] was chosen as the first Konvy's presenter,^[101] as well as advertising model for Mackiss Company's Now We Are soju,^[102] and for Nunen Chazuki under the Korean premium eye health brand '2.0 Recipe'.^[103] In August, Cha was selected as advertising model for Samhwa Foods,^[104] and the new muse of Dashu Perfume.^[105] In January 2022, Cha became the muse for the hair styling brand Dashu.^[106] The next two months, he became new brand ambassador for Ms Glow^[107] and Mister Potato.^[108] In April 2022, Cha was selected as a model for contemporary men's clothing brand Liberclassy.^[109] In June, Cha became a brand ambassador for Dior Beauty, announced after attending Jean-Michel Othoniel's exhibition.^[110] In December, Cha was officially announced as a brand ambassador for Dior.^[111][112]

In January 2023, Cha became a regional brand ambassador for the American multinational footwear and apparel brand Skechers.^[113] In February, Cha and actress Han So-hee were selected as CF models together for global clothing brand Giordano.^[114] Cha launches the global campaign 2023 New Liens collection Liens Evidence.^[115] In March, Cha became a brand ambassador for Est Cola.^[116] Cha became a brand ambassador for Dunkin' Philippines.^[117] In May, Cha has been appointed as honorary ambassador for the '2023–2024 Visit Korea Year', participated in the launching ceremony of the 'K-Tourism Cooperation Group' along with First Lady Kim Keon-hee and Chairperson Lee Boo-jin.^[118] In June, Cha also became a brand ambassador for Skechers in Indonesia,^[119] and was selected as a brand ambassador for Subway.^[120] In August, Cha has been selected as promotional model for Chung Jungwon Home:ings.^[121] Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for outdoor brand The North Face.^[122] In October, Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for Ricola.^[123] Cha is also announced as the face of the insurance company Hanwha Life.^[124]

In January 2024, Cha became a brand ambassador for Cornetto in Southeast Asia.^[125][126] In February, Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for Milo Thailand.^[127] In March, Cha has been selected as advertising model for Sprite.^[128] In August, Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for Nescafé in Hong Kong and Macau.^[129][130] Cha was also announced as the new brand ambassador for Healthcare robot company Bodyfriend.^[131] In September, Cha was selected as the new face of the global campaign for Calvin Klein's Fall 2024 menswear collections, including the Calvin Klein Studio line.^[132] He has also been announced as the advertising model for LG Uplus' AX.^[133] Cha became the global ambassador for the French luxury jewellery and watch house Chaumet,^[134][135] and was chosen as an ambassador for the French luxury fashion house Saint Laurent.^{[136][137][unreliable source?]} In October, Cha became a brand ambassador for the American fashion brand Calvin Klein.^[138] He has been selected as the exclusive advertising model for Norang Tongdak chicken.^[139] In November, Digital Daesung's MiMac Study e-learning brand appoints Cha as its new promotional model.^[140]

In February 2025, Cha was chosen as the new advertising model for Shinhan Financial Group's Shinhan Bank.^[141] In March, Cha became a brand ambassador for international clothing brand Marithé et François Girbaud.^[142] On August 29, he was appointed as the global brand ambassador for the Korean cosmetics brand Abib.^[143]

Philanthropy

Since 2016, Cha has engaged in significant philanthropic activities. His early contributions included donating his handwriting to the Korean language learning app Danbi in October 2016, with all profits supporting the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange's Hangul ODA (Official Development Assistance) project.^[144] Two years later, in June 2018, he participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and funds for Korea's first ALS nursing hospital,^[145] a challenge he revisited in July 2023 with another ₩10 million donation.^[146]

In April 2019, he donated ₩10 million to aid victims of the Sokcho Fire,^[147] and in November he donated ₩10 million to the "Junior Love Academic Support Fund", which provides scholarships to students at his almer mater Sungkyunkwan University,^[148] a cause he continues to support as of 2022 by donating his advertising model earnings.^[149] In January 2020, Cha collaborated in G-Market Global Shop's "Give Love" campaign where all proceeds were donated to Save the Children Korea's "School Me" project.^[150] The following February, he contributed ₩30 million to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.^[151] In 2022, Cha participated as a special audio guide for the art exhibit of Sir Michael Craig-Martin and donated some proceeds for cancer patients at the National Cancer Center.^[152] He also held "Archive", a photo exhibition at the end of the year, donating all profits to help the underprivileged.^[153]

More recently, Cha has engaged in international initiatives and significant fundraising events. In April 2023, he contributed to the "Little Miracle" project in Thailand, raising ฿400,000 through an auction to support critically ill children,^[154] and in May, he helped raise an additional ฿514,902 for the Children's Hospital Foundation in Thailand through KonnecThai.^[155] Domestically, he actively participated in W Korea's "Love Your W" breast cancer awareness campaign and charity event in October 2024,^[156][157] and donated personal items to the "WeAJa Sharing Market", South Korea's largest charity event, with all proceeds going to support underprivileged children and youth, as well as vulnerable groups affected by the climate crisis.^[158] His most substantial recent donation came in March 2025, when he gave ₩100 million through the Korean Red Cross for wildfire recovery efforts in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions, which went toward support for victims, including relief vehicles, emergency aid kits, shelters, and blankets.^[159]

Wealth

In 2021, Cha purchased a penthouse in Cheongdam-dong worth ₩4.9 billion. His total net worth is estimated at USD 50 million.^[187][188]

Military service

On May 9, 2025, Cha applied to join the Republic of Korea Army Band.^[189] The Military Manpower Administration announced that he was included in the list of successful applicants and he enlisted on July 28.^[190] In August, Cha was selected as a company commander trainee during basic military training at the Korea Army Training Center (KATC).^[191] On September 2, Cha graduated from KATC, where he was selected as the trainee representative for the ceremony.^[192] He continued his service as a member of the military band of the Ministry of National Defense on September 4, 2025.^[193]

Tax dispute

In January 2026, media outlets reported that the National Tax Service (NTS) Seoul Regional Office had notified Cha of a tax reassessment exceeding ₩20 billion (approximately US$13.6 million) for alleged income tax evasion. The investigation, which began in early 2025, alleged that a company established by Cha's mother functioned as a "paper company" to reduce his tax burden by shifting personal income to a corporate entity with lower tax rates. Cha's agency, Fantagio, denied the allegations of intentional wrongdoing, stating that the case revolves around a legal dispute over the company's taxable status. ^[194] It has been reported that, following Cha's request, the National Tax Service sent the notice of the tax audit results after his enlistment.^[195]

On January 27, Cha denied tax evasion allegations and hired a law firm to respond as he vowed to cooperate with all future tax-related procedures. He has also denied allegations that he intentionally enlisted in the military after being investigated by the Seoul Regional Tax Office last year.^[196] His agency, Fantagio, has asked for refraining from speculation regarding tax evasion allegations.^[197] The Korean Taxpayers' Association (KTA) clarified that Cha's additional tax assessment does not equal tax evasion, stressing presumption of innocence, the legality of tax avoidance, and cautioning against premature labels or leaks of confidential information.^[198] On January 30, Edaily reported that Cha has not been subject to criminal tax penalties, as the National Tax Service (NTS) has not classified the case as tax evasion. The matter is currently undergoing a pre-assessment review, and the NTS has denied claims of special treatment.^[199] Various advertisements filmed by Cha had been taken down due to this incident, including the advertisements for Shinhan Bank, Abib, LG U+, and Ministry of National Defense despite his apology.^{[200][201][202][203][204]}

On 9 February, the Korea Taxpayers' Association announced it would file a police complaint against unidentified tax officials and a journalist over the alleged leak of tax audit information concerning Cha.^[205] The following day, it formally submitted a criminal complaint to the National Police Agency regarding the reported additional tax assessment, stating that the disclosure of taxation data violated privacy and official secrets laws, and citing Article 71 of South Korea's Personal Information Protection Act and Article 127 of the Criminal Act, which provide penalties for the unlawful disclosure of personal data and confidential information obtained in the course of duty.^[206]

Extended plays

Singles

Other charted songs

Songwriting credits

All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.^[222]

More information Title, Year ...

Title	Year	Artist	Album	Lyricist	Composer
"You & Me (Thanks Aroha)"	2017	Astro	Winter Dream
"By Your Side" (너의 뒤에서)	2018		Rise Up
"Together"		Himself	Top Management OST
"Merry-Go-Round (Christmas Edition)"		Astro	Non-album single
"Merry-Go-Round"	2019		All Light
"No, I Don't.." (아니 그래)	2020		Non-album single
"After Midnight"	2021		Switch On
"Don't Worry"
"First Love"	2022	Himself	Drive to the Starry Road
"Stay"	2024		Entity
"Fu*king Great Time"
"Where Am I"
"U&I" (너와단둘이)
"You're The Best"
"Memories"
"Moon" (꿈속의 문)	2025	Astro	Non-album single

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