NewJeans' choreography and MV teams also join in ... Is Min Heejin creating the 'male NewJeans'?

SOURCE: 뉴진스 안무·MV팀까지 합류…민희진 사단, '남자 뉴진스' 신호탄 되나

As OOAK Records recently unveiled the campaign for a new boy group launch, the public is speculating that the main creative staff who previously worked closely with NewJeans might be reuniting and joining the project.

On the 5th, MV director Lee Youngeum shared photos of the individuals involved in OOAK Records' video production on her personal social media. The list included Director Shin Dongle, who previously worked on NewJeans' 'Hype Boy' and 'Cookie,' while Lee Youngeum herself directed 'NewJeans' and 'Bubble Gum.'

Choreographers Black.Q and Kim Eunjoo also hinted their participation as they added 'OOAK Records' to their social media profiles. The two created the choreography of NewJeans' hit songs like 'Attention,' 'Hype Boy,' 'Ditto,' 'OMG,' and 'Super Shy.'

As these choreographers were the key figures behind the viral 'Hype Boy' challenge, attention is now focused on the performance style of the new boy group they will be working with.

As it seems like the production staff who worked together during the NewJeans era are reuniting, there are high expectations regarding the creative direction of the first boy group from OOAK Records.

Meanwhile, Min Heejin used to work at SM Entertainment before joining HYBE in 2019 as the Chief Brand Officer (CBO). Later, she led HYBE's subsidiary label, ADOR.

However, in April 2024, tensions surfaced when HYBE launched an internal audit after alleging that Min Heejin attempted to take control of the company. Since then, she was removed from her CEO position, stepped down as an internal director, and formally ending her relationship with HYBE.

Continue reading NewJeans' choreography and MV teams also join in ... Is Min Heejin creating the 'male NewJeans'?

'Cha Eunwoo's mother' Eel restaurant in Ganghwa Island ultimately closed down ... A 'sad ending' to the 20 billion KRW tax evasion allegations

SOURCE: '차은우 모친' 강화도 장어집 결국 폐업…200억 탈세 의혹의 '슬픈 엔딩'[MD이슈]

'Eojeyeon Charcoal-Grilled Eel' restaurant run by Cha Eunwoo's mother has recently closed down. This has brought more attention to the tax evasion allegations involving the family-owned business. Because of this situation, there's growing calls within the entertainment industry to review the common practice of creating family businesses under the name of 'tax savings' to reduce tax burdens.

Previously, Cha Eunwoo underwent a strict investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office last year. Afterward, he was notified of additional taxes totalling to around 20 billion KRW. Until then, Cha Eunwoo's income had been distributed among his agency Fantagio, Company A established by his mother, and Cha Eunwoo personally. Fantagio explained, "Company A was a real business that managed contracts for Cha Eunwoo's entertainment activities."

However, the National Tax Service suspects that Cha Eunwoo used a 'paper company' in order to avoid paying the high income tax rate of 45%. The controversy grew when it was revealed that Company A registered their business as the exact same address as his parents' eel restaurant.

Under current tax law, the maximum income tax applied to high earners reaches up to 45% (49.5% including local income tax), whereas the maximum corporate tax is only around 24-25%. For this reason, it has been common for celebrities to run 'one-person companies' under family members' names to legally save their money on taxes.

Recently, famous actors like Cha Eunwoo, Honey Lee, Yoo Yeonseok, Jo Jinwoong, and Lee Joongi have been notified of large additional tax assessments one after another. This has made the practice as a serious social issue.

A legal professional warned, "Running a one-person company for the purpose of avoiding tax is clearly an unlawful practice. If a company claims to generate revenue with no actual business activity, it can lead to criminal punishment for issuing false tax invoices."

They also added, "These moral scandals can send a fatal blow to a celebrity's image, so they must be very careful when running one-person companies."

TOP COMMENTS:

1. [+975][-7] Cha Eunwoo and Honey Lee are just the ones who got caught. They should dig into every single one-person company in the entertainment industry.

2. [+847][-7] He brought this on himself. What's there to be sad about?

3. [+829][-10] They shouldn't just close the business. Arrest them.

4. [+50][-0] I thought the business expanded and relocated to Cheongdam-dong? What 'sad ending' are they talking about here?

5. [+41][-0] If only he paid all the tax like Yoo Jaesuk and thought of it as an investment in their reputation, he would earn dozens of times more money in the long runㅋㅋ

Continue reading 'Cha Eunwoo's mother' Eel restaurant in Ganghwa Island ultimately closed down ... A 'sad ending' to the 20 billion KRW tax evasion allegations