Actor Cha Eun Woo has become a catholic. According to reports from the South Korean press, the actor was baptised last week. He is currently serving in the military as a corporal in the army band.

The move appears to have come as a considerable surprise. Neither Cha Eun Woo nor his agency, Fantagio, had ever publicly disclosed his religious views before. The only hint of any affiliation came from occasional sightings of the actor wearing a rosary bracelet, which fuelled speculation about a possible interest in Buddhism. Meanwhile, unconfirmed claims on sites such as Namu Wiki suggested he might be a Protestant, but those were always marked as speculative.

This is therefore the first time Cha Eun Woo has been publicly associated with any religion. The decision to receive baptism was not announced in advance; the fact was confirmed by his agency only after the media reported on it.

The actor took the baptismal name John (요한) – in honour of John the Apostle, also known as John the Evangelist.

Interestingly, in the 2022-23 drama «Island», he played a young exorcist priest named John. To prepare for the role, he met with a Catholic priest and even studied Latin and Italian.

The decision came during a difficult period for the actor. In early 2026, he became embroiled in a major tax controversy and paid around 13 billion won (roughly $8.4 million) in additional taxes. It is possible that he was seeking comfort and support in his faith.

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