TVN Series 'Second Signal' Still Undecided…Careful About Airing This Year

What Became of 'Second Signal' After Cho Jin-woong's Retirement?
'TVN''s crime drama series 'Second Signal' is facing an unprecedented crisis, 'Cho Jin-woong' being embroiled in the juvenile offense controversy. A large-scale production poured in major capital, and an actor's sudden announcement to retire from the entertainment industry has become a direct scheduling uncertainty risk. With public sentiment still cold, attention is focused on what the broadcaster will decide.

'Second Signal' is the follow-up to TVN's hit drama 'Signal', which caused a sensation in 2016. After completing all filming in August of last year, a June airing was expected this year to mark the 10th anniversary of 'Signal' broadcast and the 20th anniversary of the channel's launch.

However, in December of last year, with post-production in full swing, the situation turned sharply when allegations of a crime involving Cho Jin-woong in his teenage years surfaced. Immediately after the controversy broke and Cho Jin-woong abruptly announced his retirement from the entertainment industry, the production work—already largely completed—was thrown into doubt.

TVN said right after the retirement announcement, "We will find the optimal solution for the production and the viewers," but even now, four months later, it has not offered any clear resolution. As a result, the originally planned June airing has effectively been put on hold.

The series was one of the most anticipated productions of this year's broadcasting season, backed by massive production costs and manpower. However, it has landed in a bind: it cannot move forward with airing amid worsening public opinion, yet it also cannot simply scrap the project while absorbing enormous losses.

Due to an unexpected variable, even TVN's drama programming schedule suffered a chain reaction of setbacks. The June slot left vacant by 'Second Signal' was filled by Apple TV+ original series 'Pachinko'. After 'Secret Class' starring Shin Hye-sun and Gong Myung, and before the July drama starring Park Eun-bin, 'A Disturbing Romance', the plan is to plug the gap with a replacement lineup for about a month.

Inside and outside the broadcasting industry, there were claims that the filmed material would be completely discarded, but for now, the focus is on a plan to push for an airing sometime within this year. A broadcasting official said, "There are internal discussions about not extending it beyond this year, so a schedule in the second half is likely."

That said, because programming can change in real time, it is still difficult to be certain about a December airing plan. A TVN source said, "The timing for 'Second Signal' is not yet decided," and is maintaining a cautious stance.