Actor Jo Jin-woong Announces Retirement Amid Juvenile Offender Controversy... "Taking Responsibility for My Mistakes"

Actor Jo Jin-woong, who has been embroiled in the 'juvenile offender controversy', has officially announced his retirement.

On the 6th, Jo Jin-woong released a statement through his agency, People Entertainment, apologizing, saying, "I have disappointed those who have supported me due to my past misdeeds," and added, "I humbly accept all this criticism and intend to cease all activities as of today, putting an end to my acting career."

Jo Jin-woong explained his retirement decision as "a rightful responsibility and duty for my past mistakes," stating, "I will do my best to reflect on myself so that I can stand upright as a human being in the future."

The day before, entertainment media Dispatch raised suspicions based on reports that Jo Jin-woong committed vehicle theft and sexual assault during his high school years, leading to time in a juvenile detention center. The report also included claims of past incidents of assault and drunk driving since his acting debut.

In response, the agency stated, "Upon confirming with the actor, there were indeed wrongdoings during his minor years," acknowledging the past actions.

However, they clarified, "We firmly state that there is no relation to any acts of sexual assault."

Nevertheless, the agency did not specify which of the raised allegations were true, and avoided mentioning, "It is difficult to fully grasp the circumstances from over 30 years ago."

Jo Jin-woong, who entered the film industry in 2004 with 〈MALJUKGURI CRUEL HISTORY〉, has since actively participated in films such as 〈THE DIRTY CARNIVAL〉 (2006), 〈WAR ON CRIME: THE RISE OF THE BAD GUYS〉 (2012), 〈Myeongryang〉 (2014), and 〈Drug War〉 (2018) in leading and supporting roles.

He also appeared in the highly popular tvN drama 〈Signal〉 in 2016, and the follow-up 〈Second Signal〉, which has completed filming and is set to be released next year, is expected to face disruptions due to this controversy and Jo Jin-woong's retirement decision.

Meanwhile, the SBS special documentary 〈War on Crime〉, for which Jo Jin-woong provided narration, will replace the narrator and re-record starting from the broadcast on the 7th, and the already aired first part will also be revised.